Thorns of the Past, Rose of the Present
by V-Roxie-V
Summary: The beginning of forbidden love ALWAYS ends in tragedy.
1. Allegiances

_**Thorns of the past, Rose of the Present**_

**_By: T-Roxie-I_**

**Summary: (Based on Mars by Fuyumi Soryo) Rosethorn and Thorntail are in love. No cat can deny that. No cat _has_ to deny it either, now that Rosethorn is no longer a medicine cat. Life has been sweet ever since Rosethorn escaped from the nightmare of her apprenticeship, and took her rightful place by her mate's side... In fact, life couldn't be better - for either one of them. A new rank on the horizon for Thorntail thanks to his good friend Tawnyleaf, new kin is being prepared for, Rosethorn's fairly popular in RiverClan - especially with their leader, Duststar, to Thorntail's annoyance. But, sadly, Thorntail and Rosethorn are just able to take a sip from the river of happiness before trouble starts to tug at them once more. When faces of the past start to pop up in unwanted places, Thorntail is forced to pay the price of his mother's betrayal, or lose Rosethorn forever to the cat who stalks her in the shadows. And as if that weren't enough, one warning keeps lingering in their hearts. The Beginning of Forbidden Love _Always_ ends in tragedy. **

**_In memorial to: Joanne _**

**Hey, everyone...**

**Before I allow you to read the alliances, I just wanted to say something... The reason I didn't put this up earlier is because on Wednesday October 17th, my mother passed on. I'm not going to say how, or what exactly happened, but I am going to say that I loved her very much, and that she will be greatly missed. She was the best mother a girl could've had, and I won't ever forget her - even if I live to be 100.**

**I also felt it fair to mention that this might be the last fanfiction I ever put up. You see, it was my mother's dream to become a published _romance_ author. As it were, she never realized that particular dream. It's my intention to finish the novel she had been working on before she passed away, and get it published. Heck, if no publishing company won't do it, I'll have it self-published and have it author-distributed. Whatever it takes. And after that, I'll probably work on original stories of my own... **

**In fact, I had almost scrapped this story and allowed Burning Roses, Silver Thorns to be the end. But then I rethought it... I mean, I improved so much from writing the previous two stories to this one - I bet I'll get a lot better by the time this one is over, too. What's more, this entire series is about dealing with loss, and overcoming tragedies. I'll overcome the latest tragedy in my life alongside Rosethorn and Thorntail. **

**Before I let you go on even further, I'd also like to make something quite clear: Streamstar is in no way shape or form based upon my mother. There are actually a LOT of terrible mothers in this series that you guys have yet to meet, and absolutely none of them are inspired by the matriarch of my family. You got that? Good.**

**As for the alliances... Yes, even though Rosethorn and Thorntail are in RiverClan now, the hierchy of ThunderClan is listed first. I was too lazy to change the order. Oh, and now the intimate details of every Clan are mentioned - like who is who's mate, and all that. I hope you find some of the alliances funny... I was trying to cheer myself up. WindClan's is humorous, I think...and RiverClan's, if you read it carefully. **

**I hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

_**ThunderClan**_

**Leader:** **Streamstar**

_Pretty White She-cat with Blue eyes_

**Deputy:** **Sandpelt **

_Pale, ginger she-cat _

_Mate: Swiftfoot _

_Kits: Tiberkit, Robinkit _

**Medicine Cat**: **Flamesoul **

_Flame-colored tom, piercing emerald eyes _

**Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits, in order of seniority) **

**Shrewtail **

_Light gray tom with dark brown eyes _

_Apprentice: Gingerpaw _

**Badgerclaw**

_Big, black and white tom with a narrow muzzle _

**Icepelt**

_Blue-gray she-cat_

**Blackshadow**

_Smoky-black tom _

_Mate (private): Applefur _

**Twilightfur**

_Blue-gray she-cat, with piercing blue eyes. Formerly of ShadowClan. _

**Morninglight **

_Tortoiseshell she-cat_

**Aquamist **

_Blue-gray she-cat with silver tinged around her muzzle _

_Mate: Beakclaw _

**Beakclaw**

_Tan tabby tom _

**Queens** (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Applefur**

_Ginger she-cat _

_Mate (private) : Blackshadow_

_Kits: Blazekit, Baykit, Petalkit, Nightkit_

_Kits (Mother, Deceased Spottedlight/star) : Hollowkit, Iriskit _

**Dusktail **

_Black she-cat with a golden underbelly_

_Mate (deceased) : Shadowfire_

_Kits: Bramblekit, Cloverkit _

**Sandpelt (****Deputy)**

_Pale ginger she-cat _

_Mate: Swiftfoot _

_Kits: Tiberkit, Robinkit _

**Ebonypool **

_Black she-cat with pale green eyes_

_Mate (forbidden, ShadowClan): Marshclaw _

_Kits: Unborn _

**Apprentices (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors or medicine cat.)**

**Gingerpaw **

_Pretty, sand-colored she-cat with leaf-green eyes, Mentor, Shrewtail _

**Elders (former warriors and queens, now retired.)**

**Swiftfoot**

_Still young dark tabby tom with amber eyes; former deputy of ThunderClan, retired early due to injuries_

_Mate: Sandpelt _

* * *

_**ShadowClan **_

**Leader:**** Smokestar**

_Light gray tom with pale green eyes_

_Mate (deceased): Lightsnow _

_Apprentice: Sapphirepaw _

**Deputy:**** Ravenfeather **

_Black she-cat with amber eyes _

_Apprentice: Amberpaw _

**Medicine Cat:**** Shadedhope **

_Old gray she-cat. _

**Apprentice: **_**Rockyheart **_

_Dark ginger tabby she-cat _

**Warriors **

**Whitesky **

_Terribly named light gray she-cat _

**Snowheart **

_Ivory-colored female _

_Mate: (deceased): Midnightstrike_

_Apprentice: Patchpaw _

**Swamptail **

_Dark brown tabby tom_

_Mate: Blacktail _

**Flyingeagle**

_Big dark brown tabby tom with a white underbelly. Pale blue eyes_

**Foxheart**

_Handsome ginger tom with green eyes_

_Mate: Stormpool_

**Spruceleaf **

_Black tabby with a white chest and tail-tip. Yellow eyes._

**Nightstorm**

_Black she-cat with a single white paw. Pale green eyes_.

**Stormpool **

_Pretty Silver she-cat _

_Mate: Foxheart _

**Lightfoot **

_Dusky black-and-tan she-cat _

_Mate: Deadgrass _

**Toadfur **

_Black tom_

**Deadgrass**

_Short haired tan tabby tom_

_Mate: Lightfoot _

**Onyxpelt **

_Jet black tomcat _

_Mate: Gemstep _

_Apprentice: Pearlpaw _

**Stripedtalon**

_Golden-brown tomcat with jet black tabby stripes_

_Apprentice: Rubypaw _

**Kindleheart **

_Ginger tom _

**Brownfur **

_Brown tabby tom _

**Juniperwave**

_Brown silky-violet colored furred tom. Thin green eyes_

**Cricketjump**

_Gray tom. _

**Birchclaw**

_Pale gray tabby tomcat_

_Mate: Cindersoul _

**Rufflepelt **

_Dark ginger tabby she-cat _

_Mate: Steamclaw _

**Steamclaw **

_Smoky black tom_

_Mate: Rufflepelt _

**Cindersoul**

_Smoky gray she-cat; flame-colored eyes _

_Mate: Birchclaw _

**Shimmerpelt **

_Pretty white she-cat _

**Marshclaw**

_Jet-black tomcat, green eyes _

_Mate: (forbidden, ThunderClan): Ebonypool _

**Queens**

**Gemstep **

_Black-and-white-speckled female_

_Mate: Onyxpelt _

_Kits: Diamondkit, Emeraldkit, Amethystkit _

**Blacktail **

_White queen, with black tail, chest, and paws. _

_Mate: Swamptail _

_Kits: Unborn _

**Spiritheart **

_Elderly, very pale brown queen. The oldest nursery queen - and oldest cat in ShadowClan. _

_Mate: Private _

_Kits: Powderkit, Dark-kit _

**Apprentices:**

**Sapphirepaw **

_Blue-gray she-cat with black eyes. Mentor, Smokestar _

**Rubypaw **

_Scarlet-furred she-cat. Mentor, Stripedtalon _

**Pearlpaw **

_White she-cat. Mentor, Onyxpelt _

**Amberpaw **

_Tawny-colored female. Mentor, Ravenfeather _

**Patchpaw **

_Black-and-white tomcat. Mentor, Snowheart _

**Elders:**

**Fawnstep **

_Small, light brown queen. _

* * *

_**WindClan **_

**Leader: Timidstar**

_Blue-gray she-cat_

**Deputy: Mapleleaf**

_Golden-brown female_

**Medicine Cat: Graycloud **

_Very light gray she-cat_

**Warriors:**

**Silverleaf **

_Beautiful kittensoft silver pelt; leaf-green eyes, feminine-looking tomcat. _

_Assumed Favorite Mate: Runningwhisker _

_Mate(s): Yewpelt, Rabbitfur, Moortail, Skyclaw_

**Queens:**

**Rabbitfur**

_Brown tabby she-cat _

_Mate: Silverleaf _

_Kits: Bluekit, Breezekit, Rosekit _

**Moortail**

_Tortoiseshell she-cat _

_Mate: Silverleaf_

_Kits: Shadowkit, Snowkit _

**Runningwhisker**

_Golden she-cat _

_Mate: Silverleaf _

_Kits: Tawnykit, Rinoakit, Sunkit _

**Skyclaw **

_Blue-gray female _

_Kits: Songkit, Gingerkit, Twilightkit _

**Yewpelt **

_Black she-cat with white chest and paws, blood-red eyes_

_Mate: Silverleaf _

Kits: Unborn

* * *

_**RiverClan**_

**Leader****: Duststar**

_Brown and Gray tabby tom _

_Assumed Favorite Mate: Hazetail_

_Mate(s): Drizzlestep, Fogpelt, Listeningecho, Quickfoot, Duchess_

**Deputy****: Listeningecho**

_Pale brown she-cat _

_Mate: Duststar _

**Medicine Cat****: Blueherb **

_Plain-looking blue she-cat _

**Warriors (no particular order of seniority.) **

**Puddlespots**

_Blue-gray she-cat_

_Mate: Speedtail _

**Speedtail**

_Unusually spotted golden-brown tom _

_Mate: Puddlespots _

**Silentsong**

_Pale silver, almost white, with thin black tabby stripes, with silver-blue eyes._

_Apprentice :Rainpaw _

**Icefire**

_White she-cat with blue eyes_

_Mate: Darkstorm_

**Darkstorm**

_Black tom, with dark gray tabby stripes_

_Mate: Icefire _

_Apprentice: Emberpaw _

**Beetleflight**

_Black tabby tom with silver eyes._

**Owlpelt **

_Small, plain brown tabby tom _

_Mate: Shadenight _

**Dustyfoot**

_Brown tabby tom_

_Mate: Fogpelt _

**Tigerflame **

_Huge Flame-colored tabby tom _

_Apprentice: Burnpaw _

**Serpentpelt **

_Long, skinny black-and-brown she-cat._

_Apprentice: Wavepaw _

**Tawnyleaf**

_Beautiful Golden-brown she-cat _

**Fishclaw **

_Sleek silver tomcat _

_Apprentice: Smallpaw _

**Tinyheart**

_Black and white tomcat _

**Rinoa **

_Ebony furred she-cat with white chest and paws; one green eye, one blue; former loner_

**Cinnamonfur**

_Pale brown tomcat _

**Thorntail **

_Big, Light gray tomcat, sapphire eyes_

_Mate (**Public!!!): **Rosethorn _

**Rosethorn **

_Scarlet-furred female, sapphire eyes_

_Mate (**Everyone Knows!):** Thorntail _

**Duchess **

_Long-furred white female, unusually colored purple eyes; former kittypet _

_Mate: Duststar _

**Queens:**

**Drizzlestep**

_Ebony-colored coat_

_Mate: Duststar _

_Kit: Hazelkit _

**Fogpelt**

_Speckled gray fur_

_Mate: Dustyfoot or Duststar (Maybe Both) _

_Kits: Unborn _

**Quickfoot **

_Wiry tabby; formerly of WindClan _

_Mate: Duststar _

_Kits: Rushkit, Harekit _

**Shadenight**

_Gorgeous ebony-furred she-cat with sapphire eyes_

_Mate: Owlpelt _

_Kits: Melodykit _

**Apprentices: **

**Smallpaw **

_Small brown tabby tomcat. Mentor, Fishclaw _

**Rainpaw **

_Small, Sleek silver she-cat with yellow eyes. Mentor, Silentsong _

**Wavepaw**

_Big, Sleek silver tomcat with yellow eyes. Mentor, Serpentpelt _

**Emberpaw **

_Flame-colored female, amber eyes. Mentor, Darkstorm _

**Burnpaw**

_Flame-colored tomcat, amber eyes. Mentor, Tigerflame _

**Elders:**

**Hazetail**

_Silver she-cat. Oldest cat in RiverClan _

_Mate: Duststar _

**Jadeitepelt**

_Brown-and-white tomcat. Oldest tom in RiverClan. _

* * *


	2. Prologue

**Starsnow of EveClan - Thank you for your sympathy. (I'm sorry...I have no clue what else to say...)**

**Watersoul the Head Star Walker - Yup. We get to meet Smokestar. He's my favorite character - next to Silverleaf. **

**Cloudfire - Heh heh heh... thanks for pointing out my mistake. I fixed it. Now it says that Steamclaw is Rufflepelt's mate - as was my intention. And, yes, WindClan only has one warrior. Poor Silverleaf. He must be exhausted. All those she-cats wanting to have his kits - and then patrols. So he's working all day, partying all night...I wonder when he gets to sleep. **

**Spottedfeather - Thanks. And yes, Silverleaf has lots of mates. Its his job to repopulate WindClan. I bet you never would've expected him to be so fertile. (But of the twelve kits he has so far, they're all she-cats...) **

**Swanfeather - Thank you. **

**Tainted Shadow Rebel - I don't think I'll ever feel BETTER...but...yeah. Thank you.**

**mapleleaf - Eh...I bet the queens would fight. I'd assume that the queens might alternate - maybe Timidstar bended the rules a bit so the queens could patrol...I mean... Silverleaf is probably exhausted from romping with all those she-cats! lol. Well, you guys were all wondering where the heck he went and why he wasn't bothering Rosethorn...now you guys all know. He was...busy._ Very_ busy. **

**mapleleaf22 (different account, different review) - No, I don't have a website...but you could always e-mail me, if you wanted. -shrugs-**

**Strangefur - Thank you. I don't know...Deadgrass might be a dad. The first few chapters of this story are COMPLETELy unplanned, so I'm going to be making up a bit of it as I go. (From a certain point onward I have practically every single line down and planned...but...not the beginning. O-O( **

**Dragon-Star155 - _Does _Duststar have more mates than Silverleaf? I don't know - didn't count. But, yeah, Duststar's...very worldly. We'll meet him in chapter 1, and I hope you like his personality. (This isn't chapter 1. It's a prologue. lol ) **

**Mooncloud's Courage - Eh. My all time favorite part of this series is when Rosethorn went temporarily insane and gave Flamesoul what he deserved! Er...tried to. **

**xx-Secrets-xx - I think I sent you a review reply on fanfiction... I'mm too lazy to write another. -shrugs-**

**lmblovesmilk - Yup. lol.**

**CinderDream - Neat name! Anyways, thank you. I'm pretty good at romances, don't you think? I mean, everyone seems to like this story for some reason...lol. **

**Lynxshade - No, I love these reviews. -shrugs- I just do. Anyways, when/if it comes out, I'll make some sort of announcement on here... yeah. **

**Now for my usual briefing of the chapter. This is a prologue. It takes place in StarClan. I didn't do a good job on it, but that's because I'm a little scatterbrained right now. A little rushed, and I didn't put in everything that I had wanted to - there was going to be a bit about telling Duststar about Thorntail and Rosethorn's coming, but I never wrote it in. Anyways, we actually get to hear Graywhisker talk. I hope you can picture a good monotone voice for him - I picture him speaking with virtually no emotion. We also see Robinwing again (for those who remember her or liked her), Crimsonspirit, and Thorntail's father - who remains unnamed. Thorntail's mother - Lightsnow - however, doesn't make an appearence. Why? Laziness. Anyways, it's just a bit of StarClan's opinion on things. Robinwing kind of represents most of StarClan's opinion, Thorntail's father is just manic, and then there's Crimsonspirit who's...I don't know. The generic father. Graywhisker is fun though. I like him. My favorite characters are Graywhisker, Smokestar, and Silverleaf...in opposite order. And Splenetic is a fun word. So Graywhisker gets to use it. Yes, it _is_ a real word.**

**Enjoy, **

* * *

The cold ebony blanket of night lay upon the forest. The silver eye of the moon rested its ivory gaze onto the four great oaks that lay sleeping in the hollow without even the faintest breeze to ruffle their branches. Resting on the trees were clumps of delicate leaves, with glimmering star shine within their roots. 

Within the gray shadows lurked stalking cats, their fur the colors of fire and ice, sleek and wrapped tight around their full bodies. They skirted around the edge of the hollow, their eyes of amber, sapphire, and emerald glowing brighter than the moon floating around their heads.

Finally, one cat dipped himself down the hollow, pressing his powerful paws beneath him delicately, as if he had an irrational fear of death if he made a misstep.

His fur needed no light to rest upon it for it to be seen, for it glowed all on its own. His pelt was rose-colored, and his eyes as golden as the moon was silver. The fur on his broad shoulders bristled slightly as he drew nearer to the pool that lay at the bottom of the stony hollow.

Leaping carelessly from stone to stone, he finally stumbled to a halt at the water's edge. He gave a quick glance at the tumbling aqua beneath him, but then he turned his attention to the black-and-ginger she-cat that stood at his shoulder.

"Robinwing," he greeted, giving the former deputy of ThunderClan a curt nod.

The she-cat did not return his greetings, and instead kept her flashing green eyes firmly into the pool. It was as if she hadn't heard him, until she murmured, "Hello, Crimsonspirit."

Crimsonspirit narrowed his amber eyes into snake-thin slits. "You look worried. What do you see that bothers you so?"

"Streamstar's mind," Robinwing answered, finally turning her attention away from the rippling waters. "It's a storm of guilt. She is unsure if he decision was right."

"It wasn't," the scarlet-furred tomcat snapped, his words sudden, raw, and furious. "Streamstar is right to feel guilt. And I hope it clings to her like a shadow for the rest of her days."

"I wouldn't ever think that a cat would wish the mate he had left behind such pain," Robinwing retorted. She glared at him, lashing her tail hard and sharp enough to slice through rocks.

Crimsonspirit's body became taut, and he stood hovering over her, his shoulders squared. "Streamstar," he hissed between his teeth, "is no longer my mate. She had been until she betrayed our daughter. I'll never forgive her for that – and I hope Rosethorn never does either."

It was as if a decree of war had been passed between the two cats. Each of their anger dug hard into their opposite, like a sharp claw.

Robinwing snorted, and swiped her tongue around her square jaws before answering, as if she enjoyed the taste of a good argument. "Streamstar had a choice. Her Clan or her daughter. When she became leader, we as StarClan granted her guardianship of ThunderClan. She's guarded it well."

"When she gave birth, nature granted her guardianship of Rosethorn," Crimsonspirit threw back, his red fur dancing like a burning flame from his body. He gave himself a moment to relax, shaking himself to calm his nerves, before he mewed in a level tone, "I'm surprised that you, of all cats, are defending Streamstar's judgment, after you were wrongly executed for treason – and only from the words of your crazy daughter and that bloodthirsty tyrant, Runningstar." Robinwing didn't seem to hear his remark about her death, or the actions of her disloyal kit. Instead, she slowly rasped her tongue along her chest, her eyes clouded with thought. After a moment of silence that seemed to last for a moon, she growled, "Think, Crimsonspirit. If you were in Streamstar's situation, would you really have exiled Flamesoul? ThunderClan needs him, whatever he had done."

Amber eyes met emerald, and they held each other for a few heartbeats. Finally, Crimsonspirit broke the contact and looked down at his paws. "No, I wouldn't be able to exile Flamesoul," he admitted. Robinwing nodded smugly, as if confident she had won, but Crimsonspirit struck her down with his next words. "I would've _killed _him for doing such a thing to my daughter. That's why he never touched her when I was alive, you know. He knew what _I _would do."

Again, the former deputy of ThunderClan did not acknowledge the fierce words of the protective father. "I believe I will enter Streamstar's dreams tonight," she meowed absently. "Calm her nerves. She needs to understand that she did the right thing."

"Tell me when you're done. Then I'll enter her dreams and ignite the flames of guilt within her that will burn her from the inside out."

Their conflicting opinions clashed, making the air around them tense and almost smothering as they glared at each other. But before either cat could continue their argument, a third figure came forward, his thin gray fur wrapped around strong, firm muscles. He playfully butted the crimson-furred tom into the side, his whiskers twitching with amusement. "Hey, Crimsonspirit," he purred when the worried father turned to see the former-ShadowClan warrior. "Your daughter has fine taste in mates. About time somebody tamed the wild Thorntail! StarClan knows how she was able to wrap my son around her paw – I had always thought he would bounce from mate to mate until he was an elder."

Crimsonspirit purred, and turned his back onto Robinwing to devote his full attention to the gray tomcat before him. "Thank you, Gr-" before he could utter the full name of the gray-furred warrior, Robinwing cut him off with a soft hiss.

"Rosethorn was not meant to take a mate. Talking about Streamstar's betrayal – Rosethorn betrayed the warrior code."

"Your_ face_ betrays the warrior code," the gray cat snapped. His blue eyes only briefly flicked towards Robinwing, before he wrapped his long tail around Crimsonspirit's shoulders and devoted the full of his attention to the red tom.

"So," the gray StarClan cat murmured, his whiskers still twitching, "picture this: our grandson. Your amber eyes, my son's gray fur. Granddaughter: my mate's blue-gray pelt, your daughter's soft blue eyes." He didn't give Crimsonspirit any time at all to comment, and instead swept on. "I really do hope that those two have kits. I always wanted some grandkits...I think Lightsnow would like some too...Oh, I wonder where that mate of mine went. Gosh, with that Rowanstar, I bet'cha. Why my mother and mate were always so close, I'll never know."

"Kits..." Crimsonspirit murmured, as he padded alongside the stone-colored tom. "The thought of kits worries me, actually."

"It shouldn't. Don't listen to Graywhisker about cats with impure blood. He's very opinionated about that, but it's a load of fox-dung."

"Graywhisker? He has opinions? I didn't even know that he could talk!"

"He's...a very quiet cat," the dusty tom admitted. "But if that's not what's bothering you, than what is?"

"The thought of grandkits," Crimsonspirit repeated, letting a sigh escape his lips. "Streamstar and I had two litters before we were able to breathe life into Rosethorn. Every single kit we had had was born dead. Rosethorn had two other kits in her litter, as well – you know Scarletkit and Lilykit...but they died shortly after birth," he added quickly. "And when Streamstar had Rosethorn's litter, she actually lost one of her nine lives... I'm worried that Rosethorn will join us too quickly if she carries kits."

"Have you foreseen this?" the other tom asked briskly. When Crimsonspirit grunted a 'no', he shrugged his shoulders. "Then don't worry about it. Lightsnow's mother had the same problem – but Lightsnow was able to have _my_ kits with hardly a glitch."

Relief flooded into Crimsonspirit's eyes. "That's true," he meowed brightly. "Graywhisker and Thorntail are fine cats."

"Thorntail is, yes."

"Don't say it like that. Graywhisker is a fine cat as well. He just made a...bad decision at such a young age."

The stone-furred StarClan warrior didn't comment. Nor did he have time to, because Robinwing let out a rumbling growl. "What Rosethorn and Thorntail have done on this night is wrong. StarClan will see that they are punished for it."

"What Flamesoul did was wrong as well," Crimsonspirit pointed out, arching his back. "So just because he has value to ThunderClan he will not suffer any penalty for what he did to my daughter? Is that it, Robinwing?"

"Rosethorn was a medicine cat of ThunderClan! Thorntail was...I don't even think that _he_ can keep track of what Clan he's in, either! Or what she-cat he's with..."

The gray tom let out a hearty chuckle. "That's my son!" He let out a proud purr.

Robinwing didn't seem to hear him. "None of the ThunderClan medicine cats can contain themselves. Nothing good will come from any of their hearts desires. Not Flamesoul's, not Rosethorn's, and _certainly_ not Ebonypool's."

"We've all foreseen Ebonypool's fate," Crimsonspirit assented. "But we don't know for-" Crimsonspirit began, but he was cut off.

"The beginning of forbidden love _always_ ends in tragedy," a voice rippled through their ears.

The three cats' heads swung towards the speaker at once. A very pale gray tomcat was padding towards them, a stalking intent in his step. His pelt was the exact shade of the other that stood alongside Crimsonspirit. His veiled, liquid eyes had no light as he settled himself down beside Robinwing. His face was as solid and emotionless as granite. "Robinwing is correct," the newcomer meowed, his voice scarcely audible. "Nothing good will come out of my brother's infatuation with that soft medicine cat."

"Sure there will, Graywhisker," the first gray cat assured him with a swift flick of his tail. "There might be kits! You'd be an uncle – how would that make you feel?"

"Splenetic."

"When I figure out what that means, I'll give you a reply."

A storm of annoyance rolled around in the aqua depths of Graywhisker's eyes as he regarded his father, before he went on with his point. "As I previously stated, Robinwing is correct. Rosethorn and Thorntail have broken the Warrior Code. They must be punished."

"And who will punish them?" Crimsonspirit fired. "StarClan? I think not! We had foreseen Rosethorn's demise before...and she didn't come through with the prophecy. The roses weren't ignited in flames! She won. She defeated us – Flamesoul did not conquer her again!"

"Oh, the fires of Flamesoul's passion have died, have they?" Robinwing broke in, seeming even more confident now that she had an unexpected ally at her side.

Crimsonspirit had no reply.

"Flamesoul aside," Graywhisker went on, his voice one tone, not rising or lowering a mouse-length, "the truth alone will tear them apart."

Though Robinwing and Crimsonspirit didn't seem to understand what Graywhisker was saying, Graywhisker's father visibly stiffened, and his fur shot up as if he had been struck my lightning.

"Graywhisker!" the tom boomed, rounding onto his son. He glared hatefully at his spawn – and Crimsonspirit and Robinwing were left thinking that Graywhisker was lucky he was already dead, for the look his father gave him was such that it actually could kill.

But Graywhisker didn't seem bothered by the hateful look that his father was throwing at him. "I think my brother deserves to know the entire story surrounding his birth, do you not agree?"

"He already knows that _I _am his father, and not Smokestar," the first stone-furred cat snarled. "Unlike you, he had the strength to brush himself off, and didn't give up on the entity of his life! He has found a mate, a Clan to be loyal to, and I'm sure he'll have kits someday – something you will _never _be able to do!"

"Something I _never_ had any desire to do, either." Graywhisker pointed out, his tone still not carrying any emotion on its back.

"You never had any apprenticeship daydreams about that she-cat Shadenight that you couldn't hold onto?"

Graywhisker didn't answer, but he did let out a half-hearted purr, before he turned his back on his father and the two cats that were once of ThunderClan. "Shadenight gave me some amusement," he admitted. "But Thorntail wanted her more than I. And Owlpelt even more so than Thorntail. Owlpelt _deserves_ her..." For a single instant, a flash of joy appeared into his ice-cold eyes, but it faded as quickly as it arrived. "Anyway, I'm not speaking of what you, or your irrational lust for my treacherous mother who had been your deputy's mate. Though...I _am_ speaking of Mother. And her..." he paused, as if searching for the correct word, "actions."

At Crimsonspirit's shoulder, the stone-gray tomcat stiffened at his son's words. He stood riveted, and faced the other gray cat before him like he was facing and enemy, and not his son. "Your mother wasn't thinking straight then!"

"So she _was_ thinking straight when she used Smokestar-dearest to break into ShadowClan?"

"She was in love with me! Love makes you do crazy things – but you wouldn't know about that, would you?!"

"I know about love. And I did do a crazy thing for love. I loved Thorntail, just as a brother should. But that isn't the issue here," Graywhisker added quickly, as if the subject of his brother made him uncomfortable. "I'm just speaking quite truthfully that the facts of Thorntail's past will prevent him from achieving true bliss with Rosethorn."

Crimsonspirit leveled his gaze with Graywhisker. "What do you mean...what facts?"

Graywhisker curled his tail. "About my mother. And her tainted blood. The tainted blood that runs through the veins of me...and Thorntail." Graywhisker turned towards the rippling pool, and gently dabbed at the water with a single paw. "The tainted blood that was going to make me do...things." He looked towards his father. "I also don't think he fully understands the strength of the darkness inside him. When he does, that's when the despair will awaken. Once he realizes what he's destined to do – what he's destined to be...quite willingly, he will join me. Join all of us. I think you should tell Thorntail the entire truth, Father."

"But I won't!" the first gray cat shot. "And even if I had wanted to, I couldn't. A cat who was just an average warrior in life cannot step into the dreams of another average warrior."

"Whoever said that we should tell Thorntail ourselves? Dear Rosethorn isn't an _average _warrior. Though the path is thinner, her medicine cat roots give us entry. Inform _her_ of the entirety of Thorntail's past. Then _she_ will tell him – unless she escapes him first."

The mentioning of his daughter's name made Crimsonspirit's amber eyes ignite with fury. "Tell my daughter what?!"

"No StarClan cat can enter Rosethorn's dreams, anyway." Robinwing pointed out. "Not as long as she has the anger towards StarClan lying in her heart."

"That is fading, with Thorntail by her side," Graywhisker murmured, not taking his eyes off of his father. "Soon a cat will be able to visit her. And tell her everything. Father?"

"No." The word was firm.

"Thorntail has a right to know."

"I refuse to do anything that will ruin the happy life that I want for my only _beloved _son!" Graywhisker didn't even flinch away from the cat's cruel words. "He'll never know, because I won't tell him!" As if that ended the matter, the furious tomcat whipped around and stormed off. Crimsonspirit and Robinwing, clearly uninterested in spending any of their eternity alongside Graywhisker, gave eachother a few more harsh glares, before they went their separate ways, leaving the tom alone.

Graywhisker's sapphire eyes lit up with excitement as he turned back towards the pool to peer into the actions of the forest. "Then maybe_ I_ will."

* * *

**I didn't want to make the first chapter yet, so I wrote this. It's only 5 pages long - but it's a prologue! It's allowed to be short! I hope you like Thorntail's father... I don't think he'll ever have a speaking part again. Ever. Well, maybe in flashbacks...but...yeah. Anyway, I hope Graywhisker came out as the slightly-creepy tom that I had wanted him to be. If not, shut up. He'll get creepier. **

**Rosethorn is gonna have new nightmares.**

**Um...if you review you get a...a...um...Crimsonspirit plushie! YAY! **


	3. Chapter 1

**Howdy-ho everybody! Sorry for the long wait for the update but... I was...busy. And then depressed. And then lazy. **

**time to reply to reviews.**

**Squirrelflightlover - First off, let me say that it is impossible to let somebody rape you. If Rosethorn walked up to Flameosul and said 'Rape me' it wouldn't be rape. You can't rape the willing. -long, awkward silence- I just felt I had to point that out. Anyways, I'm glad you like Crimsonspirit. Rosethorn always talks about him fondly - now you know why. Anyways, I can't tell you if Rosethorn will have kits or not. She might. She might not. -grins evilly- But if you read the summary carefully, I think it's obvious what's going to happen.**

**Daklotles85 - Of course I'm not mad at you. I don't know why your name isn't out there anymore...out where? Oh, I don't know. -huggles- thanks for reviewing!**

**Strangefur- But I'm not good at unplanned chapters! That's why this chapter is bad! Totally spontaneous! YIKES! Anyways...well, I'm not going to say if you're right about Graywhisker or not. But we_ do _get to know his story. And his...weird relationship with Thorntail. (Not incestuous. Get your head out of the gutter. lol.)**

**The Twitcherz - Thanks for your sympathy. -huggles- Anywho's...thanks for the compliment too!**

**running shadow - I think you're missing the basic point of this fanfic. xD The entire point of this is that every single life is important, and that death hits people hard. Don't wish for Graywhisker to be dead again - if Thorntail didn't even get to see his brother again in StarClan, how would he feel? Ah, well. Oh, and yes, Crimsonspirit is fun. Thorntail's father was really easy to write for - 'cuz I always picture Thorntail getting most of his personality genetically from him. **

**Dawnfeather - Well...I never really thought of Graywhisker as emo, anyways. Though, he did commit suicide... Ah well. Thanks for the review! **

**Cloudfire - Oh, I'll name Thorntail's father. I will. Actually, he already has a name. I know it. But nobody else does. -shifty eyes- But, trust me, he will be talked about a LOT. Mostly by Smokestar...**

**Peachfoot - Poking plushies is fun. -nods- Yes. **

**Dragon-Star155 - Thanks for the review!**

**mapleleaf - Robinwing always acted like a snot. And Rosethorn gets a speaking part in this one. Though she doesn't speak much at all. But it's in her POV...so... yeah. xD And Ebonypool's kits will be named. I have names. Hrm...I wonder what the answer to the joke was. I wonder if anyone else knows the answer. "Why didn't Rosethorn cross the thunderpath?" If any reviewer is reading my review reply to mapleleaf and thinks that they know the answer, include it in your review. Because I don't know the answer either. Maybe it's 'So she didn't get hit by a monster like Graywhisker' but I'm not sure. xD **

**Tainted Shadow Rebel - It's okay. -pats head- Thanks for the review.**

**koiihalo - Thank you for your sympathy. Oh, and the allegiances were fun to make, I admit that - that might be why they made you laugh. (They didn't take long at all, either. I just made them up as I went...) Thanks for the review.**

**Greenpool-Gylfie's Loyalty - The 'Gr-' was referring to Thorntail's father. So, yes, the name of Thorntail's father begins with 'gr'. **

**Emberstorm - We've known that Crimsonspirit was Rosethorn's father since the first book. lol. Anyways, thanks for all the 'tens' but what was with the 9.9? That bothered me. What did I do that just knocked of .1 instead of a whole point? lol. Why not a 9/10? or an 8/10? This is bugging me now. xD Not that I deserved a 10/10 for that one category anyway. I'm lazy when it comes to descriptions... **

**Swanfeather - Or you should be worried about Rosethorn. If Rosethorn died, that would qualify for a 'poor Thorntail' too, wouldn't it? Or maybe I'm just screwing with you, and Thorntail is just going to hit his head on a branch and fall in the mud and get all dirty. That would qualify for a 'poor Thorntail' Or maybe I'm just leading you astray, and I am going to kill Thorntail. Anyways, it's interesting to see the contrasting opinions of the character of Thorntail's father. Some peeps love him, some others - like you - hate him. lol.**

**Lynxshade - I just noticed your name - nice! Anyways, it would be interesting if graywhisker had a crush on Rosethorn, but he would be at quite the disadvantage since he's dead, and Thorntail's alive. xD **

**xx-Secrets-xx - Gr- gets a name. Trust me. He does. Just...not yet. Not that it will be a big shock, or anything, when you learn who Thorntail's father is - it'll be dreadfully obvious. But, yeah. lol.**

**Mooncloud's Courage- -updates- lol.**

**CinderDreams - Thankie-doodles!**

**lmblovesmilk - I'm glad you like it. -huggles-**

**Pearla.H.Sweden - I gotty your PMs. -nods- Anyways, I'm glad you like Crimsonspirit. I felt I should introduce him - I mean, Rosethorn talks about him quite a bit, and I think it was time to put a personality to the father of Rosethorn... Because I think he'll come up in conversation quite a bit in the next few chapters. **

**Watersoul the head Star Walker - Awe, but Smokestar will be a fun character! Like Silverleaf! And Graywhisker! Anyways, no, Graywhisker's personality as we just saw, and the Graywhisker that Thorntail is always talking about clearly have some contrast...makes you think. I hope. lol.**

**Spottedfeather - You're goot at rambling! -gives cookie- **

**TawnyLeaf- Scarletstripe was Crimsonspirit's sister. And yes, Flamesoul had a crush on her, but it was unrequited love - he was like, a six-moon old apprentice, and she was, like, a warrior...so she didn't really pay him much attention. She died, later. And...Flamesoul had complex motives for what he did for Rosethorn. But to put it simply, it was just pure lust. He wanted her. And he was going to get her, whatever it took. **

**Now for the briefing of this chapter. Honestly, it is one of the worst pieces of crap that I've ever written in my entire life. But I'm too lazy to revise it. But, alas, crap is often what you get when you have absolutely no plan one what you're doing. Ugh. Just a few unplanned chapters, people, and then the good stuff comes in. Just bear with me!**

* * *

The river winds tumbled off of their watery home, baring its fangs at all passerby as the night gave up its struggle with the sun for dominance. Besides two thin cat-like shapes colored rose and stone, the only movement was the dust that flew into the air to escape the harsh, rushing breeze. 

Rosethorn let out a rough cough, and pressed her frail body closer to her mate. His tail skimmed over her shoulder, momentarily making her forget about the harsh winds and drown in sensual passions that prickled across her body.

But the wind had teeth, and it dug them firmly into the pair's flesh, forcing the gray tomcat to tuck his tail beneath his legs for sheer protection.

"I thought only WindClan had these sort of problems with the weather!" Thorntail called out, his voice just barely rising above the howling wind.

Rosethorn shrugged to show that she had heard, but didn't verbally reply. Instead, she allowed her cerulean eyes to explore the territory that she hoped to call 'home' by the end of the evening.

The RiverClan landscape was unusually hilly, unlike the flat but tree-filled land that ThunderClan had settled within. The miniature mountains rose out of the ground, scratching the sky, crowned with the golden light of the sun. Behind her, on the path that she had already traveled, roared the dark green river that, like the wind, had risen up and snarled at the outsider from a not-so-distant place. Rosethorn almost cringed away from what she saw lying before her.

Hills had a tendency to block the light, creating shadows that were long and in a slanted pattern against the earth. Perhaps it was the shadows, perhaps it was just out of the unfamiliarity of the territory that made the land seem strange and haunting like leaves blown through the forest in the dead of night.

The fear scent must've clung to her as hard as the one that marked her as ThunderClan, for Thorntail let out a reassuring purr. "It'll seem better once you get used to it. We're almost at camp, anyways. The river made a sharp turn awhile back, and rolled around the hill that we're standing on... The camp is on an island," he added, a hint of excitement in his voice, "so we'll have to swim a bit. Is that okay?"

Concern rippled through the pale blue waters of his eyes, and Rosethorn knew that if it hadn't been okay before, it was as soon as he stared at her. To assure him of her opinion, she pressed her muzzle deep into his thick, gray fur, and allowed his RiverClan scent to flood into her senses.

His pelt was thin, and coarse, and she could feel his hard, distinct muscles beneath it. That was one of the many things that fascinated Rosethorn about her mate's body. He was tall and slim, yet still powerfully built.

Desires, sensual feelings, and imaginative ideas flooded into her mind, and she hardly acknowledged the fact that, until just the previous night, all of the thoughts rushing through her consciousness had been forbidden.

Last night, and all nights previous of it, she had been of ThunderClan, and cats tended to frown upon a ThunderClan she-cat longing for a RiverClan tom. Especially when the ThunderClan she-cat also happened to be the medicine cat, and daughter of the Clan leader.

Originally, it had not been Rosethorn's intent to abandon her Clan and start her pilgrimage to her mate's camp. She had planned on living in ThunderClan until the end of her life, and it had never even crossed her mind to leave them. She had so wanted to see the kits of her best friend, Applefur, grow up and receive their mentors – just as she had dreamed of seeing her former-apprentice's kits simply be born. It had also been her desire to stand alongside her mother, ThunderClan's leader, Streamstar, until the very end of time. She'd wanted to be ThunderClan's Medicine Cat. She'd never, ever, wanted to betray them.

And she hadn't, she assured herself even as she felt her mate's pink tongue rasp between her ears. ThunderClan had betrayed her.

More accurately, ThunderClan's_ leader_ had betrayed her.

When Rosethorn had been six moons old, and still an apprentice, her father's life ended and her nightmare began. Her mentor at that time had been a big ginger tomcat who carried the name Flamesoul. Thinking about it now, Rosethorn realized how suitable that name was, for the flaming passions in his soul had been the cause of her suffering.

Shortly after her father padded into the skies to be with his warrior ancestors, Flamesoul raped his apprentice for the first time.

Streamstar finally found out about Flamesoul's advances when she walked in on them and saw with her own eyes. In a blind fit of rage, Streamstar chased Flamesoul away with her own teeth and claws. Streamstar and Rosethorn never told the Clan about Flamesoul's advances, and they never even mentioned it to one another again.

However, a Clan with enemies on all sides and a barely-trained medicine cat usually doesn't mix well. Where ShadowClan strived in strength, ThunderClan withered. Where RiverClan's prey practically leaped into their mouths, ThunderClan's seemed to fall off of the earth. And where WindClan became unusually fertile, ThunderClan became unusually sterile. And with no trained medicine cat to cover these problems with health tips, strengthening herbs, and visions from StarClan, the difficulties didn't vanish.

Shortly after Streamstar lost a life from a bout of Greencough that ravaged her body, the Clan leader made a decision: Flamesoul had to come back. And he did...as ThunderClan's medicine cat and sharing a den with his old apprentice once more.

Though at first it seemed as if Flamesoul's passions died and he would serve ThunderClan as his duty stated, it quickly became apparent that he had ideas for what to do with Rosethorn. In a climactic battle against her apprenticehood tormentor, Rosethorn all _except_ killed him. Unfortunately.

Rosethorn admitted to her leader and mother what she had done – and what Flamesoul had tried to do. But Streamstar would not put ThunderClan in jeopardy again. Flamesoul was going to stay in the Clan, and Rosethorn knew that the battle she had had with him that night would not be the end. So she made the most obvious but hardest choice in her entire life: She left ThunderClan and her rank, to be with her mate in RiverClan.

Her _mate!_ She wondered if Thorntail was as amazed by the full meaning behind that word as she had been. They had been as close as mates for moons now – dealing with one another's dark pasts, sneaking off to be together, arguing about how big the world outside of the forest was with one another – but only on the night before, under the judging eye of StarClan in FourTrees, did they physically become mates. Rosethorn had been somewhat irrationally terrified by even the thought of joining with a tom in such a way after what Flamesoul had done to her...but now she could finally say that she was free.

She had been so lost with her muzzle in her mate's side, and with her head in the clouds, that she was shocked when she realized that they had already arrived at the swift bend in the river which held the RiverClan camp.

The river rolled around, roaring as if it were trying to cry louder than the wind. Though upstream the river had seemed a dark green, now it was undoubtedly blue. It reflected the blinding dazzle of the sun's light square into Rosethorn's eyes, but though it burned, she simply squinted instead of looking away altogether. She searched for any hint of the island that Thorntail had mentioned.

"Look straight ahead," Thorntail advised.

Rosethorn blushed beneath her fur. Sometimes simple common sense escaped her.

Sure enough, once Rosethorn followed Thorntail's advice, she was able to lay her eyes on the glory of the RiverClan camp. It seemed far away. Rosethorn guessed that they would have to swim the entire length of the _ThunderClan _camp in order to find the RiverClan camp.

Though the air was hazy, Rosethorn could foggily see it through the skim of dark mist. It rose out of the water with an almost threatening posture, as if it felt that it had dominated the river. She could see think green blankets dotting the threatening-looking island, and she could also see shadows that looked like stalking gray...cats!

"Cats! Thorntail, look! RiverClan cats!"

"I know! It amazes me too. Every time I see a RiverClan cat in the RiverClan camp, I just have to stop and gape in surprise!" Thorntail playfully used his tail to twitch one of her perked ears.

"And every single time I see a ThunderClan cat in RiverClan territory, I just have to chase them out."

Rosethorn realized at once that Thorntail hadn't just spoken: his voice was rough and masculine – it certainly didn't sound like that of a female. She glanced wearily around, and flinched when she saw a trio of cats carrying RiverClan scent on their pelts.

The cat who had spoken didn't seem like anything special. She wasn't exceptionally large, small, ugly, beautiful, or threatening. She had an average tan tabby pelt that clung to her body so tightly that Rosethorn briefly wondered if the pelt was too small in a weird freak of nature. The cat's eyes were amber, with small flecks of orange, yellow and, surprisingly, green. They were glittering with raw anger, but surprisingly, Rosethorn didn't feel threatened by the commanding she-cat at all. After Flamesoul, this generic she-cat was small potatoes. Even so, Rosethorn recognized the cat's voice, and she knew that they must've spoken at least once before.

The tan RiverClan cat thrust her head forward to give Rosethorn a suspicious sniff.

"She smells nice, doesn't she?" Thorntail asked off-handedly, as he lurched towards the tan tabby and used his body as a barrier between the two.

The RiverClan she-cat snorted. "ThunderClan cats can't smell nice. They smell like ThunderClan. What are you doing with her?"

"She's my mate," Thorntail shrugged nonchalantly. His blue eyes glowed with amusement when he noticed the curious surprise that briefly fluttered over the tan tabby's face.

Behind the tan tabby, the other two RiverClan cats – toms, from their scent – let out whoops and exclamations of delight. The first she-cat swung her head to glare hatefully at them, and Rosethorn realized that the tan tabby must've had some seniority or authority of some sort, because the tomcats fell silent.

While the she-cat was distracted, Thorntail nudges his mate to get her attention. "Rosethorn," he meowed, "that's Listeningecho. She's the deputy of RiverClan."

As Rosethorn fully took in everything Thorntail said she realized where she had met Listeningecho before. Listeningecho was Shadenight's mother – Rosethorn had spoken with her about Shadenight's injuries when the black she-cat had tried to kill herself by walking through the thin ice that had lain on the river.

Rosethorn looked closer at Listeningecho. She wondered. Shadenight was easily one of the most beautiful she-cats in the entire forest. Had Listeningecho been beautiful when she had been younger?

There were some traces of faded beauty, especially when Listeningecho whipped away from her two Clanmates, and allowed her amber eyes to burn with an invisible flame of rage when she gave her full attention back to Thorntail. "Your mate?" Listeningecho mewed, cocking one eyebrow. "You openly admit to taking this ThunderClan cat...this..." Listeningecho paused for a heartbeat, before she jerked her tail towards Rosethorn. "What is your name? Who are you?"

Under the intense gaze of the RiverClan deputy, Rosethorn almost completely forgot her title. She struggled for a few moments, until she was finally able to collect the proper information. "My name is Rosethorn. I was medicine cat of ThunderClan," she explained, deciding that it was best if all the facts were placed out in the open.

"I thought you looked familiar," Listeningecho meowed thoughtfully. "You're Flamesoul's apprentice, aren't you?"

Images of the lumbering ginger tomcat appeared within Rosethorn's mind's eye. His piercing dark emerald eyes, glittering not with light but with shadows...

"I _was_," Rosethorn emphasized.

Listeningecho snorted, and quickly ignored Rosethorn, and went back to harassing Thorntail. "So you openly admit to taking a mate in another Clan?"

Before Thorntail could properly answer, one of Listeningecho's comrades finally spoke up. "Thorntail's admitted to taking_ numerous _mates in other Clans."

The speaker was a small, light brown tomcat. His pelt had similar tabby stripes to Listeningecho's, but his fur was slightly darker in shade. His face was long and angular – his most noticeable feature was his nose, which looked sharp enough to use as an extra claw in the thick of battle. His eyes were deep-set into his face, and they looked as black and ebony – except when they moved. Then they seemed to ignite with an amber sheen. At that moment, they were bright, burning amber, and round with awe as they looked from Thorntail, to Rosethorn, to Thorntail again, as if amazed with the gray tom's catch.

"Remember Rubyheart?" the tom asked Listeningecho, playfully jabbing his deputy in the side with an unsheathed paw. "She was Thorntail's 'mentor' in ShadowClan. But even when he left she kept coming around – and when Duststar asked Thorntail why there was a ShadowClan warrior continuously in our territory, Thorntail just told him that he was using Rubyheart for her feminine attributes."

"That was a very pointless story, Cinnamonfur," Listeningecho grumbled. "And it was still treason. Now-"

Cinnamonfur, from what Listeningecho had called the light brown tom, didn't seem to hear his superior. "And that was just one cat. He's never hidden that he takes mates in other Clans... Sometimes they're not even in a Clan. Thorntail, do you remember when you lived with Twolegs for two whole days just so you could play around with their kittypet?"

"She was an _exceptionally beautiful _kittypet," Thorntail admitted almost-bashfully. "Katie, I think her name was. A pretty tabby with a white chest and paws, I think...or was that Mittens? Maybe it was Tabs... I can't keep all the kittypets' names straight. They don't have any rhyme or reason to them."

Rosethorn blinked. She had known that it Thorntail had passed himself around to every she-cat in the forest almost, so any jealousy that she felt throbbing inside her was so miniscule it hardly bothered her. What did bother her, however, was how fascinated Cinnamonfur seemed to be by Thorntail's...explorations.

"Taking a mate outside of RiverClan when you reside in RiverClan is treason!" Listeningecho roared, loud enough to silence even Cinnamonfur. "And you, Rosethorn," Listeningecho snarled, giving Rosethorn a fierce amber glare, "are a medicine cat. You've not only betrayed your Clan and the warrior code, you've betrayed StarClan."

For a moment, a butterfly of guilt fluttered in Rosethorn's chest. But, like most butterflies, it died quickly. For once, she had done nothing wrong: and she knew it. "I-I... I don't plan to keep it like this. I came here to ask Duststar...if I could join RiverClan's ranks."

Thorntail pressed himself against her side, and Rosethorn was grateful for his spiritual and physical support. Listeningecho tensed as if Rosethorn had just proposed a duel between them, and the scarlet former-medicine cat suddenly felt aware of the apprehension that was rising from the bottom of her heart. She needed to be in RiverClan to be with Thorntail...she knew it wasn't Listeningecho's decision – it was Duststar's – but it _was _Listeningecho's decision on whether to even allow Rosethorn to see the RiverClan leader at all.

There was a flash of rage that lit up in the deputy's eyes, when Listeningecho fully comprehended Rosethorn's request. "You want to join RiverClan?" Listeningecho asked. It seemed to Rosethorn that the tan she-cat was talking more to herself than to anyone else. "Why?"

"I-I love Thorntail. Thorntail's in RiverClan," Rosethorn mewed, shakier than she had intended. She felt bad about not telling the entire truth, but she wasn't about to tell about her dark nights with Flamesoul to cats that she hardly knew. One day, hopefully, she would look at them as friends to which she could share anything with, but that wasn't the case. Yet.

"You _love_ Thorntail?" Listeningecho scoffed, scorn in her voice. "You and every other she-cat in the forest. Besides," she growled, "it takes more than your love for one single warrior to promise us loyalty to the entire Clan."

Rosethorn realized that there was truth in Listeningecho's words, but before she could properly reply, Cinnamonfur and the other nameless RiverClan cat let out shocked mewls. "That's not what _Duststar_ says!" Cinnamonfur gasped. "Duststar says that -"

"Duststar is _senile_!" Listeningecho snapped, cutting Cinnamonfur off. "Even so," she added, regaining her composure, "he would never take in riff raff such as..." Listeningecho eyed Rosethorn like she was a rotting piece of crowfood, "_that_."

Rosethorn's opinion of the RiverClan deputy was worsening with each word that escaped the Listeningecho's mouth. Apparently Thorntail's opinion was doing the same, because he curled his lips into the beginning of a snarl.

A roll of thunder ripped through the tense air, almost roaring above the howl of the wind that was battering the cats with its breath. Every single cat's muzzle instinctively swung into the air to taste it and figure how far away the storm was. But their shared question was answered when the rain started to tumble from the clouds and onto their pelts.

"Oh no! The sky is sad! It's crying again!" Cinnamonfur yowled. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he was promptly cuffed across the ear by the third RiverClan cat – a huge ginger tabby tomcat. Cinnamonfur looked indignant. "Geeze, Tigerflame, why'd you hit me?"

Tigerflame never got a chance to reply, even though the expression on his face told the world that there were definitely things he wanted to say to his slightly-dimwitted Clanmate.

Instead, the five cats: Listeningecho, Cinnamonfur, Tigerflame, Thorntail, and Rosethorn, were confronted by a creature that was slowly emerging from the flowing river beneath their paws.

Rosethorn watched in awe, as the creature seemed to start to look like a cat once it grew closer. A distinct pair of gray ears popped out of the water first, followed by a muzzle. Finally, an entire cat slithered onto the bank, shaking the water out of his long pelt.

At his approach, every RiverClan cat – besides the ever-defiant Thorntail – dipped their head with respect.

"Greetings, Duststar," Listeningecho mewed, bobbing her head back onto her shoulders. "What are you doing out of camp?"

"Hi," Duststar purred, blatantly ignoring Listeningecho's query. He glanced up at the sky. Raindrops fell onto his eyes, and forced him to blink.

Duststar was a big, broad-shouldered tomcat. His pelt was mostly an almost-black dark gray, but he had cinnamon-brown speckles running all along his back, ears, and legs. He had pronounced cheekbones, and a sharp, clear chin. His face was a gorgeous battlefield of scars, criss-crossing over one another. Though he was obviously elderly by the way he hunched his broad-shoulders and allowed his tail to drag in the dust, he still looked strangely attractive. His eyes, much like Cinnamonfur's, were deep-set into his face. They were big, and fox-colored. They were glittering, especially when he finally laid them on Listeningecho. Duststar stepped closer to his deputy, and as he did so he brushed past Rosethorn's muzzle. Without meaning to, his scent wafted into her nose. He smelled like... urine. Urine, fish, and she-cats. Happy she-cats.

"Greetings, Duststar," Listeningecho repeated, eyeing her leader like he was a kit who had stumbled out of the nursery. "Why aren't you in camp?"

Duststar looked thoughtful. "Why aren't _you_ in camp?" He countered his voice a soft rasp. "And why do I smell ThunderClan?" He looked around. Rosethorn flattened her ears against her head when the ginger eyes rested on her, but they quickly drifted away and he noticed Thorntail. "Oh, Thorntail. You smell like ThunderClan." Duststar's eyes glittered with amusement. "Did you find a she-friend over there that you were playing with last night?"

"You don't know the half of it," Listeningecho spat. "He's taken the ThunderClan medicine cat as a mate. And now he expects us to allow-"

She trailed off, probably from seeing Duststar roll onto his speckled back and purr. "Oh, that Thorntail!" he chuckled. "That warrior is one of the most hilarious cats to ever grace me with his presence! Very amusing...Did he ever leave ThunderClan's ranks?"

"Yes, I did. You're my leader now," Thorntail explained uncomfortably.

Duststar rolled back onto his paws, and stared at Thorntail once more. "Oh, there you are!" he purred, as if he just noticed the gray cat. "Listeningecho and I were just talking about you. So, you claimed the ThunderClan medicine cat, Ambertail, have you? Oh, she was always a gorgeous little thing! I wanted her to myself... Though I hear that she and her apprentice, Flamesoul, never got along too well. Evil, that's how Flamesoul described her. Is it true, Thorntail? Is Ambertail evil?"

Rosethorn looked at Duststar, startled. She had never met Ambertail, but she had heard of her. Ambertail had been Flamesoul's mentor, and had passed away before Rosethorn had even been born. How disoriented was Duststar to think that Ambertail was still medicine cat?

Thorntail shrugged. "I wouldn't know," he admitted. He didn't brush on Ambertail's death at all, and instead meowed, "Actually, I took Rosethornas a mate. She was the apprentice of Ambertail's apprentice."

Duststar's eyes clouded with confusion. "I never met Rosethorn. Who's she?"

Thorntail opened his mouth to answer, but before the words could escape his throat, Listeningecho let out a venomous hiss. "That," she snarled with a contemptuous flick of her tail in the former-ThunderClan cat's direction, "is Rosethorn."

Duststar swung his head away from Thorntail and locked his gaze onto the small crimson-furred female standing a fox-length away from him. Rosethorn shifted uncomfortably as she felt the tom's eyes drink in every single detail of her body – from the tips of her toes to the edges of her ears. "Rosethorn?" he echoed, as if the name was of a foreign tongue.

She took a delicate step towards him, her heart pounding with nervousness. "Y-yes," she confirmed with a small inclination of her head. "I am Rosethorn."

Duststar's tail that had been lying limply in the earth a heartbeat ago flew into the air like a frightened bird. His eyes lit up with excitement as he meowed hastily, "And you want to join RiverClan?"

Thorntail answered for her. Rosethorn was surprised by how his muscles flexed and his mouth released a snarl when the gray tomcat examined Duststar. "Yes, she wants to join RiverClan," he growled gruffly.

Listeningecho looked like she wanted to put in her opinion, but before she could, Duststar let out a purr louder than the howling of the wind and the roar of the thunder. He once again raked Rosethorn with his gaze, more critically this time. But when he was finished, he beamed with approval. He gave a sly wink to Thorntail, before meowing, "Yes, yes, good, good." He nodded his approval. "Okay."

"Okay?!" Listeningecho, Rosethorn, and Thorntail all repeated the word at the same exact moment. Rosethorn's heart pounded in her chest, excitement bubbling within her.

"'Okay' what?" Thorntail questioned, asking the very thing that was blaring in Rosethorn's brain.

Rosethorn stared questioningly at Duststar, hope making her legs tremble. Was it really going to be so simple?

"Okay," Duststar purred once more. "Rosethorn may join RiverClan. Rosethorn, you're now a RiverClan cat," he purred cheerfully. "Welcome to the Clan!" Before any cat could say anymore, Duststar leaned forward and stared Rosethorn square in the eye. "You don't have to sleep with all those rowdy warriors in their den tonight, if you don't want to. If you like, you can share my den. Just you and me. Nice and cozy. You can ma – I mean _sleep_, with me...Though they sort of mean the same thing, don't they?"

Rosethorn was still in such a shock that she didn't notice the meaning behind Duststar' words. Blinded, and flattered that he would do something so kind for her she meowed, "That sounds fine."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, than did Thorntail meow harshly, "Rosethorn will _sleep with me_ in the warrior's den tonight."

Rosethorn wondered if there was a double-meaning to Thorntail's words.

Duststar looked disappointed for reasons Rosethorn couldn't name yet.

"But, Duststar," Listeningecho stammered out, "I'm not one to question your judgment but..."

"You question my judgment every day." Duststar interrupted. There was a touch of bitterness to his voice.

Listeningecho ignored him. "But I don't think that you should take in...Thornrose."

"It's Rosethorn. It's not a hard name to memorize. Rolls right off the tongue!" Thorntail pointed out.

Duststar nodded in agreement. "Rosethorn. Such a pretty name," he purred, running his tongue along Rosethorn's shoulder. "Hollowstar always was _good_ with names. I, however, am good at...other things."

"No you're _not_!" Thorntail hissed.

_Hollowstar was the cat _Streamstar_ served as deputy! _Rosethorn recalled with a jolt, not listening to the argument between her mate and her new Clan leader. But not bothering to correct Duststar, she instead meowed, "Thank you."

Listeningecho waited for a brief break in the bickering before she went on. "Duststar, I don't think you should take in Rose-Thorn," she advised, splitting the name 'Rosethorn' into two separate words. "RiverClan is becoming mixed enough as it is. What will your warriors say?"

Duststar thought for a moment. "Well...they're my warriors, they belong to me – they better not say anything."

Listeningecho sighed, her eyes shadowed with worry. "Duststar, RiverClan is taking in too many strays! First we take back Tawnyleaf and Rinoa..."

"Tawnyleaf is pure RiverClan," Thorntail pointed out, speaking for Duststar who was busy throwing a playful glance at Rosethorn.

"Well, Rinoa isn't!" Listeningecho pointed out. "Rinoa doesn't have a drop of RiverClan blood in her veins, yet you gave her a place in our Clan. And then there was that one WindClan she-cat, Quickfoot..."

Duststar rushed to the WindClan she-cat's defense, starting his speech so quickly that Listeningecho didn't even get to open her mouth to say the next word of her sentence. "Quickfoot's an asset to the Clan. Especially now that she's mothering my kits," he added with a touch of pride. "The kits will get the best traits of RiverClan, and the best traits of WindClan without any of those fun-to-watch divided loyalties. They'll be fast like a WindClan cat, and clever like a RiverClan cat."

Listeningecho just fixed her leader with a helpless gaze, clearly wondering if she should back down with her objection or not. Finally, she decided to continue. "Well...what about that kittypet, Duchess? What does she give to the Clan?"

"Me and her are working so that she'll have my kits someday," Duststar explained with a firm nod of his head. "She's very beautiful. Not many forest cats have such a long, soft, fluffy... white pelt. Besides, the tomcats like her around."

"You bet we do!" Cinnamonfur purred.

"Yes," Duststar agreed. To Listeningecho, he went on. "And RiverClan has long been known for having the most beautiful she-cats. But we must make sure that we keep this title. Duchess will have beautiful kits, and their blood and beauty will run with RiverClan forever... And...and..." he paused, a distant look appearing in his eyes. "What was I saying?" He suddenly seemed to remember. "Duchess amuses me. She gives the Clan leader amusement. Isn't that the purpose of every warrior?"

"_No!_" Listeningecho cried.

"Then why did I agree to be Clan leader?" Duststar let a sigh escape his mouth. "I thought I would get all the she-cats I wanted..."

"You did," Tigerflame spoke up for the first time.

Duststar brightened a little at that. "I did," he agreed.

Listeningecho persisted. "Th-then look at Thorntail! He's a perfect example of why we can't take in strays! He's a half-breed, and his loyalty changes by the moon..."

"Thorntail is definitely an asset to the Clan!" Oddly enough, it was Thorntail who made the statement – referring to himself in third person.

Duststar grunted agreement. "Try being nicer to Thorntail, Listeningecho; we don't want to lose him again. He's quite the valuable warrior."

"He's valuable, so he's allowed to break the warrior code whenever he wants?"

"Yes, that's the case."

Tigerflame, a big ginger furred tom with jet-black tabby stripes came forward. "Thorntail is a fine warrior of RiverClan –when he's_ in_ RiverClan. I say we just let him have his mate. Maybe that will glue him to us." He paused for a moment, his amber eyes thoughtful. "Besides, my sister, Serpentpelt, won't be so distracted if she knows that Thorntail is taken." He turned to Thorntail, cocking his head to one side. "You do call her your mate, right? Your only mate?"

"My soul mate," Thorntail meowed solemnly. Centipedes of rapture crawled up and down Rosethorn's spine when she realized what he was saying.

Tigerflame gave Thorntail a curt nod, before he turned and dipped his head to Rosethorn. "Then let me be the first warrior of RiverClan to welcome you."

_RiverClan? _Rosethorn blinked gratefully at the friendly RiverClan tomcat, too overwhelmed with emotions to speak. Just the day before she had been ThunderClan's medicine cat, and it seemed that in a blink of an eye she had shed her entire identity: She was now a warrior of RiverClan.

It was almost as if she had been reborn. Yesterday, when the sun was in the same position it held now, fear and anger had been knotted in her stomach as she argued with Flamesoul and Streamstar about why she had disappeared from FourTrees during the Gathering. Now, just a sunrise later, her entire perception altered. Though asserting her rights to Flamesoul and Streamstar had seemed like the most important thing in the world at the time, now the argument seemed so miniscule for she had left ThunderClan anyway. And yesterday she wouldn't have given two mouse-tails if she got along with the RiverClan deputy or not, but now she almost felt guilty for Listeningecho's instant disliking of her.

Of course, Rosethorn was still Rosethorn. Nothing really had changed. But everything around her seemed to have changed form and expression. No longer was she under the firm grasp of her lustful mentor or her unsympathetic mother. She wasn't imprisoned by her own Clanmates – she wasn't in such a crucible anymore. She was Thorntail's mate, she was a RiverClan cat, and she was free.

"So that's it then?" Listeningecho growled. "A ThunderClan cat says 'Hi, my name is Rosethorn. Can I join RiverClan?' and you say 'Okay'? For absolutely no reason other than...Thorntail likes her?"

"Do you think other RiverClan cats will share your opinion, Listeningecho?" Duststar asked his voice soft and quiet.

Listeningecho wasted no time, and instantly jumped on the opening Duststar had given her. "I _know most of the Clan_ will share my opinion!"

Thorntail's eyes narrowed into slits. "Which cats?"

"Every loyal RiverClan warrior," Listeningecho meowed firmly. "Every cat that knows the warrior code and pads with StarClan's blessings lighting their path."

"That's not most of the Clan. _That's _a minority," Cinnamonfur murmured.

Thorntail grunted agreement. "Yeah...that would be...what? Listeningecho and...Listeningecho?"

Listeningecho turned deaf ears to the two tomcats. "Allowing all these half-breeds, loners, kittypets, and Clan-confused cats to join RiverClan will affect us for seasons to come. It will take uncountable generations until every warrior can hold their head high and say that they don't have divided loyalties!"

"Divided loyalties?" Duststar echoed. "You mean...having loyalties to RiverClan and say...oh...ThunderClan, yes?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But...they still have_ some_ loyalty to RiverClan, right?" Duststar didn't give his deputy and time at all to answer. "Well, if Quickfoot's loyalty is divided between WindClan and RiverClan, and Rosethorn's loyalty is divided between RiverClan and ThunderClan...if we add both of their loyalties together, we have one warrior's worth of loyalty to RiverClan." As Duststar spoke, he was nodding in agreement with what he said as if it were an unshakable truth. "Yes, Rosethorn will join the Clan. She already did. I already said that she was a RiverClan cat."

Every single time a cat said that she was a RiverClan cat; it seemed to make her spirits soar higher into the stormy sky.

As if the matter was settled, Duststar turned to slip himself back into the river and presumably swim back to camp. Clearly he had forgotten the reason he had left the camp in the first place.

But Listeningecho refused to let the matter drop. "What will we tell the Clan, Duststar? That we're letting Rosethorn join us just because Thorntail says he loves her today? What about tomorrow!? He changes mates more often than the sun rises and sets – you know that!"

Duststar stopped in his tracks, his body eerily calm as he seemed to weigh his deputy's words in his head for a few heartbeats. After a few moments of dead quiet, he twisted his neck around so he could level his gaze with Listeningecho. "No, we will not tell the Clan that we're letting Rosethorn join the Clan because Thorntail likes her. We will tell them the truth."

Rosethorn flinched. She thought that that was the truth! Listeningecho clearly was as confused by the recent turn of events as Rosethorn was, for she meowed uncertainly, "What is the truth, Duststar?"

Duststar's fox-colored eyes glittered. "I'm letting Rosethorn join RiverClan because _I _like her."

* * *

**You might be saying that Rosethorn's getting into RiverClan was far too easy... Yes, it was. And yes, the conversation does seem unnatural. Ah well. Too lazy to fix.**

**Anyways, the next chapter I will introduce Rosethorn - and the readers - to the cats of RiverClan. And, in majority, most of them are completely insane. Except for two or three, who will be the controls: they will be the generic of generic of Clan cats, to show how a warrior is supposed to act...while everyone else is just totally hyper. But, since RiverClan really has no enemies (Ie: WindClan and ThunderClan are too weak to pose a threat and ShadowClan is occupied with terrorizing the Clans that can't put up a fight) they can get away with it! Or can they? -shifty eyes- Well, you'll meet them in the next chapter. But since the chapter is completely unplanned, if anyone has any suggestions of what they might like to have happen - short scenes please - don't hesitate to ask. **

**(Oh, and for the record, Duststar isn't...in LOVE with Rosethorn. In human terms we'd say that he wants to get into her pants. But Rosethorn isn't wearing pants...hrm.) **

**If you review, you get a Duststar plushie. **


	4. Chapter 2

**Hey everybody! I'm alive!!! WHOOOT!!! I'm sorry for the loooong wait. I just wasn't in the mood to write. What's more, i don't have any of this planned out. I'm not good with this spontaneous make-it-up-as-you-go stuff. Eventually we'll get to the planned stuff, but I as a person need to write some random silliness (even if it isn't that funny to you guys) and just show how happy Rosethorn and Thorntail are in RiverClan. Reviewer-reply wise... **

**Strangefur- I'm still going to call you strangefur for awhile. Sorry. lol. **

**CrowfeatherLover - Eh. It's all good. I'm glad you like the stories and hope to see some more reviews later!**

**Mothwing's Love - Yup. It's the third in the trilogy. :-)**

**mapleleaf- No, my computer was working fine. My brain wasn't.**

**Tainted Shadow Accomplice - Heh heh heh. I updated! YAY! However, you mentioned two typos that you found in a previous chapter... -pokes- What were they? Tell me, so I don't make the same mistake again! (Unless it was another reviewer who pointed out those typos...huh...) **

**Silent Ice - To the question about the name of Thorntail's father... Yes. I think you can figure out the second half, too... -giggles- **

**I can't reply to any more reviews. I will next time, I promise - but I'm pressed for time. Anyways, in this chapter this is virtually NO ThorntailxRosethorn. There will be some later, I promise! Chapters of fluff, coming up! Soon... Anyways, this chapter is just more of Duststar being crazy - the next chapter we get to see how eccentric RiverClan is. -giggles-**

**However, since everyone keeps commenting: Thorntail's father DOES have a name. And you WILL learn it soon enough. Trust me. **

**Once agian, I'm sorry for the wait...but...please review. And please don't lose interest in this story just because it took me four weeks or so to update! -hides in box-**

* * *

Wet, scarlet paws scratched furiously at the dry land, terror sinking into the heart of their owner as it became apparent that there was no easy grip. Rosethorn let out a screech, and finally pulled herself onto the island of the RiverClan camp, her pelt fluffed up with water from the river, and only getting larger from the rain that was beating against her back. 

Her eyes barely glanced at the camp; instead she turned slightly so she could see the cats that she had met just outside clamber onto land. Though she was out of breath and nearly collapsed on the ground, Tigerflame, a giant orange-pelted tomcat simply shook some of the water from his pelt before he settled himself beside her and awaited for his – and her – Clanmates to come out of the water. His amber eyes glinted as he turned his head to her. "Tired?" he asked.

Rosethorn wasn't about to lie. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not used to swimming," she admitted, exhaustion lying like a weight in the pit of her stomach.

She half expected the experienced swimmer and fisher to mock the outsider for her inadequacy, but instead, Tigerflame simply shrugged his shoulders. "It takes practice, I know. My apprentice, Burnpaw, nearly drowned five times before he could swim from the camp to our hunting grounds. You did amazing for your first time. We'll make a RiverClan cat out of you yet!"

Rosethorn's heart fluttered at her Clanmate's praise. From everything she had heard being fully accepted into a Clan took moons and moons. Thorntail had always made it seem like running through a murder of furious crows that were intent on pecking out your eyes. But two heartbeats in the camp and she had already gotten a compliment.

While Rosethorn had been speaking to Tigerflame, Thorntail seemed to have lumbered out of the water. She felt him press his weight against her side and let out a rumbling purr. From how sturdy he seemed, he clearly wasn't tired either.

Neither were Cinnamonfur, Duststar, or Listeningecho who all rose out of the water shoulder-to-shoulder. Their pelts clung neatly to their bodies instead of puffing out, and she noticed that their fur seemed to already be drying. Tigerflame seemed to notice her amazement because he purred, "It's because of all the fish we eat."

Rosethorn nodded blankly, and was about to reply to the polite RiverClan warrior when Duststar pushed his way to stand before her. Rosethorn flattened her ears, unsure on how to regard her Clan leader after what he had admitted earlier. Duststar's eyes boldly raked over her, once again examining every visible nook and cranny on her body. His fox-colored eyes beamed with approval, the double meaning of his gaze apparent. Rosethorn felt strangely flattered by his attraction, yet disturbed at the same time. Passion dripped off of every single one of the leader's words as he meowed, "I believe I shall introduce you to the Clan. I'll make an announcement right now."

Duststar turned and started to trod away, and as he did he seemed to take a cloud of tension with him, as if now that the leader was down every single cat could act like their true selves. As such, Thorntail started to bristle with rage. "I'm going to kill him," he vowed. He swung his head to the brown tabby tom. "Cinnamonfur, go find names of warriors who killed their Clan leaders and got away with it: I need a list of heroes!"

Cinnamonfur's eyes rounded with understanding, and scurried off deeper into camp as if he was going to carry out Thorntail's order right then and there possibly not realizing that Thorntail was being slightly sarcastic. Tigerflame excused himself and Rosethorn was left alone with Thorntail and the deputy.

The fur on Thorntail's neck relaxed as if his homicidal desire for Duststar had died as quickly as it had been born, and he stretched his head so that his muzzle rested just an ant's crawl away from her ear. She felt his whiskers rub passionately against her cheek as he whispered, "Welcome home, Rosethorn."

_Home_.

Though the word meant the forest to the newest warrior of RiverClan, she hardly noticed it and it passed through her ears. Her attention were all for the tomcat clutching her close to him. Emotions that would never again be denied spurted all over Rosethorn's body, beating against her harder than the rain and the roaring waves of the river combined. She entwined her tail with his, and turned her head so she could whip her mate's muzzle with her tongue.

"If you're quite done," Listeningecho interrupted, making Rosethorn leap away from Thorntail with embarrassment; she had forgotten that the RiverClan deputy was still in her presence, "I feel that it would be best if we lay the groundwork for what will be the rest of your life in RiverClan."

Rosethorn nodded stiffly, unsure on what else to do. The tan tabby before her commanded respect and attention, and Rosethorn wasn't going to deny it to her.

"You're Streamstar's daughter, aren't you?" Listeningecho asked off-handedly. Before Rosethorn could answer, Listeningecho swept on. "Streamstar and I are good friends. As good friends as one can honestly be from across borders. We speak to each other every Gathering. I was one of the first she told when she got pregnant with you, and she was the first to hear the news of the two times that I became a queen with Shadenight and Cinnamonfur. Our bond is strong, and though she is in an enemy Clan I will always respect her. Your mother is a fine leader, Rosethorn. A fine cat, too."

_She's one of the greatest Clan leaders, but one of the worst mothers. _Rosethorn thought bitterly. But she wasn't about to speak those words. Listeningecho liked Streamstar. Rosethorn's kinship with her might play into her favor.

"But your kinship with Streamstar will do nothing to sway my opinion of you or make your life any easier here. It will not play into your favor in any way."

_Fox-dung! _

"You are a RiverClan warrior now," Listeningecho began, her multicolored eyes flashing as the word 'river' escape her lips, "and whether or not I like that fact I will accept it. I will treat you as I would any other pure-blooded RiverClan warrior. If you're smart, maybe one day I will completely forget the ThunderClan blood that runs in your veins – including your mother's... But in return I desire your respect. I am your deputy, and you will treat me as such. Your mate," Listeningecho cast Thorntail a scathing glance, "enjoys treating me like I am some sort of dimwitted kit. I intend to claw that out of him soon enough, but, if possible, I would rather to not have to go through that with you. It's very simple. Treat me like a deputy; I'll treat you like a warrior. Too much to ask?"

"N-no, no, of course not," Rosethorn stumbled over the words, shock clogging her throat. If respect was all the deputy wanted, Rosethorn could get along with her. Listeningecho didn't look like much, but the fact that she was able to work with that and appear a threatening creature was respectable enough for Rosethorn.

Listeningecho seemed pleased. She swiped a pink tongue around her jaws. "Very well then."

Somewhere in the distance the three cats heard the crackling of Duststar's voice, "RiverClan young, RiverClan old, get your tails over here before I turn to mold! Heh heh heh."

Rosethorn's ears twitched. "Is that the call he uses for all Clan meetings?" she asked.

"It changes on a daily basis," Listeningecho sighed, throwing a contemptuous glare over her shoulder. She shook herself before turning back to the former ThunderClan cat. "Welcome to RiverClan, Rosethorn," Listeningecho meowed with a curt dip of her head, before she spun around and started to stalk deeper into the camp.

Rosethorn padded to Thorntail's side, and started to walk towards the sound of Duststar's voice. For the first time as a RiverClan cat, she got to see the camp where the RiverClan warriors took refuge.

In a way, as Rosethorn walked with her pelt brushing alongside Thorntail, she felt very exposed. Not so much because the RiverClan cats were examining her – because none of them seemed to have even noticed her – but more because she was used to having a green prison wall of trees surrounding her. But here, instead of trees, water was all around her beating fiercely against its bank. Occasionally back in ThunderClan, the wind would whisper through the leaves of the trees, but other than that and prey it was silent. But the river was howling and seemed to be making promises to StarClan above that one day it would swallow the camp whole. Maybe it was just the storm that had wrapped itself around the territory that was provoking the river's hostility, but it still sent shivers down Rosethorn's spine.

Under her paws, there were no leaves that had fluttered from their own green palace. Instead it was just solid tawny-colored sand. It felt nice on her pads, a cushion compared to the crunchy leaves that would occasionally scratch against raw paws.

She flickered her gaze about, away from the grey skies, the golden sand, and the blue river and instead focused on the camp itself.

The island was more or less just sand, with a few small grass patches and a few hollowed-out stones and bushes that Rosethorn assumed were used as dens. One particular nest that caught her eye was a large lilac bush. The violet flowers were just coming in bloom for Newleaf, yet already they were dazzling. She could vaguely see some feathers woven through the branches of the bush, and she couldn't help but wonder how they got there and who were the cats who made the den as their own. It was hanging precariously on the edge of the river, so she assumed that it belonged to the hardiest of all the RiverClan warriors.

But, the thought quickly stumbled out of her head when she saw a small blotch of ebony fur stumble out of the bush. A kit! The lilac bush was the nursery! The kit reminded Rosethorn as Ebonypool when she had been younger – same jet-black pelt. Although, Rosethorn had to admit, this kit seemed to have some gracefulness to it that Ebonypool never had – though Ebonypool had been much more adorable.

Rosethorn was quickly introduced to who was the mother of the kit. Right behind the young kitten scurried a larger black cat that was starting to go answer her leader's call.

The queen had a slim, wild beauty that no other cat in the forest possessed. She obviously was the kind of she-cat that would command attention at any Gathering just by flicking her tail. She was slender, reedlike, and willowy. Every feature she had was dainty, and her ears were tiny but fit neatly on her head. And the black fur just elevated the perfection of her long neck and tail. Rosethorn caught a flash of the beautiful cat's face. The cat had high, exotic cheekbones on an almost-perfectly oval head. The wind gently huffed at her long, soft, ebony fur, making it disheveled but at the same time creating a dark halo about her head. Twinkles of blue moonlight glimmered in her eyes, the crowning glory of her gentle and overwhelming beauty.

Rosethorn's mouth dropped open. She had nearly forgotten about the cat's existence, but she couldn't deny the fact any longer when she heard the queen's voice snap at her daughter. "Now, Melodykit I don't want you to go to the Clan meeting. Why don't you stay and watch over young Hazelkit, alright?" Even when the tone was scolding, there was something peculiarly melodic and tranquil about it.

_Shadenight!_

Rosethorn almost stopped in her tracks when the realization finally clawed her in the face. She was staring straight at Shadenight... _Graywhisker's mate_! (Graywhisker's "spiritual" mate, as Thorntail had informed Rosethorn) Thorntail had stolen Shadenight from his brother, and took her as his own – shortly after, Graywhisker had committed an act of suicide on the Thunderpath in ThunderClan territory. For the longest time every cat had assumed that Graywhisker had killed himself just because Shadenight and Thorntail had both broken his heart...but later, it was learned that that was only the half-truth.

Either way, Shadenight and Rosethorn had never been close. Shadenight had tried numerous times to wrap Thorntail around her paw and steal Thorntail away from Rosethorn when they had both been ThunderClan cats. Eventually, Shadenight had given up... and clearly, she now had herself a kit, and most likely a new mate, too.

The nursery was the only part of the camp that Rosethorn was able to properly name before she found herself surrounded by cats carrying RiverClan scent. Duststar sat on a smooth gray stone, sitting above any other cat in his Clan. A few of the RiverClan cats were flashing Rosethorn curious glances, but none of them were hostile. And some cats seemed to hardly notice her at all, as if every day ThunderClan cats joined in on the RiverClan Clan Meetings.

Duststar sat perched on his stone, his fox-colored eyes flashing across every cat that sat beneath him as if to make sure he commanded full attention. "Hi, everyone," he meowed raising his voice above a crack of thunder over head. "I let the ThunderClan Medicine Cat Apprentice join the Clan. Her name is Rosethorn. She's a RiverClan warrior now. I like her. You should like her too. She's nice."

Duststar was quick, prompt, and to the point. Rosethorn expected some cat to object, but for a few moments there was just silence as every pair of RiverClan eyes rested on her. Rosethorn noticed that Shadenight's were narrowed into thin slits, and the black queen turned and murmured something into the ear of a small brown tabby tomcat that Rosethorn recognized as Owlpelt, who sat beside her. Rosethorn's heart normally would've been warmed at the sight of her old friend, Owlpelt, but the coldness of the situation made it impossible.

But still, no cat openly objected. The only noise was the storm which was rolling around them tossing rain carelessly on the earth beneath it. Rosethorn wished that some cat would say something. As it was, every single cat's opinions were hidden, and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Give her reasons of joining the Clan? Say 'hi'? Do a dance? What did they want? Rosethorn thanked StarClan that Thorntail was standing beside her offering her his strength. Otherwise she assumed she probably would've tried to turn into a turtle and hide in her shell. The idea was appealing.

Finally the silence was broken. One RiverClan warrior rose to her paws. She was extremely thin and wiry with a black back and brown underbelly. However, the underbelly was difficult to see because she had such tiny legs that barely lifted her off of the ground. "Oh, great StarClan!" she she-cat moaned up to Duststar. "You've found yourself_ another_ mate!?" The RiverClan cat flashed an exasperated glance to Tigerflame who sat beside her.

"Duststar, you have to leave some she-cats for the rest of the forest!" A leopard-spotted golden tomcat put in. Rosethorn recognized him as Speedtail, who Thorntail had introduced to her as his mentor many moons ago.

"Well, I guess I have to admit," the earlier slim black-and-brown female put in, "this is a fantastic way to defeat the other Clans. If we steal all their she-cats they certainly won't be getting many new warriors, will they?" Tigerflame grunted agreement.

Rosethorn looked around wildly. They thought that she was joining the Clan to be Duststar's mate! "Wait!" she cried out.

Thorntail was on his paws, too. "She's not-" he began, but both their voices were drowned out by the sudden eruption of chatter from the RiverClan cats.

"You haven't even given Duchess your kits yet!" one cat cried out, eyes wide and troubled as if that was the most important thing the leader had to do.

A crescendo of chorused voices quickly pounced on the situation. "Way to go, Duststar!"

"She's kind of pretty. Duststar, I'll trade you my mate, Icefire, for her!" The cat that made that particular statement was quickly mauled by some angry white blur. "You see, Icefire, this is why I want to give you away! You're violent, I say! _Violent!" _

"Rosethorn, eh? Isn't that Streamstar's daughter?"

"Oh, no, Beetleflight, you're thinking of Aquamist."

The name of one of Rosethorn's old Clanmates, Aquamist, seemed to be heard by every single RiverClan cat. Rosethorn was instantly forgotten in another mass of yowled comments.

"Oh! Aquamist! _Aquamist!_ I like her! Can we get _her_ to join the Clan?" Rosethorn recognized the owner of this voice as being Cinnamonfur.

"Her sister, Morninglight is nicer looking," meowed Tigerflame thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but she's a medicine cat, isn't she?"

"No, that's the other sister: Flamesoul."

"Flamesoul's a tom..."

"How can Morninglight's_ sister_ be a tom?! That's insanity!

"_I'm tired!_ Can we please end this meeting so I can go to sleep?!"

Every cat ignored the tired plea, and went on with the conversation of Aquamist. Every cat was talking too quickly and to no one in particular, that Rosethorn couldn't even figure out who was saying what.

"I think that Emberpaw means that Flamesoul is a she-cat that looks like a tom."

"Really? Flamesoul should get together with that Silverleaf cat in WindClan! He looks like a she-cat. Together, they'd look like an average pair of mates."

"That's disgusting, guys! Flamesoul is definitely a tomcat! Trust me, _I'd _know..." That owner of that voice Rosethorn was able to specifically identify. It was a pretty tawny-furred she-cat. The cat's body and face was mostly hidden by the group of RiverClan cats, and Rosethorn could only see patches of golden fur and cold, yet somehow bright. emerald eyes.

"Yes...yes...no one suspects a thing..." Rosethorn couldn't see the cat who meowed that particular ominous sentence, but she had a sudden urge to find out who it was so she'd know who to avoid.

Duststar, however, didn't seem to here any of the comments. In fact, he seemed to be in his own little world when he meowed, "Yes, yes, I'm a genius, and..." the old RiverClan leader stopped short as a thunder boomed over his head. He raised his eyes nervously to the sky, and Rosethorn half expected him to leap off the rock to avoid being struck by lightning, but instead the RiverClan leader let out a purr of amusement. "Hey, I just realized...it's the first storm of Newleaf!"

Rosethorn heard Thorntail groan beside her. She turned to him. His noise only added to her confusion. "What's wrong?"

Thorntail's eyes glimmered for a heartbeat before he banished them to staring down at his paws. "Wait," he sighed. "Chaos is about to ensue"

"I didn't even think you knew what the word 'chaos' meant..." Rosethorn meowed in awe, only half-joking.

Thorntail lifted a paw to playfully cuff her alongside the ear, but before he could Listeningecho was on her paws, her tan pelt bristling so she looked twice her size. "Duststar," the deputy mewed, "tell me we aren't going to..."

"Yes, Listeningecho, you're completely correct!" Duststar nodded in agreement to whatever words he assumed his deputy had uttered. "We're going to reenact the glorious watch from many moons ago!" It was almost as if he was speaking directly to Rosethorn as he meowed, "Seasons ago, RiverClan was at its weakest. Before any cat alive was born, in fact. Except maybe Listeningecho. She seems old."

Listeningecho let out a hiss of fury, but Duststar ignored it. "But still RiverClan remembers! Once RiverClan was so small there were just twelve of us – because of some disease, or attack, drought, or famine, or...something annoying like that. Anyways, that twelve included the leader, deputy, queens, and kits. And ShadowClan was powerful, and especially cruel. They had many more cats than twelve. And extremely cruel. Cruel to the extreme. Okay, they're always that way, but usually RiverClan is strong enough to continuously cuff them over the ears when they get to bothersome – it's our duty to protect the weaker WindClan and ThunderClan. But RiverClan only had twelve cats including queens and kits...and a medicine cat! Most of us had been wiped out by a nameless disease, attacks, drought...or famine, or something annoying like that. But ShadowClan was powerful and especially cruel..."

"You're repeating yourself, Duststar!" Listeningecho hissed.

"I know!" Duststar retorted, shooting beams of hatred down at his deputy. "I'm repeating the important details! Rosethorn here," he nodded his head at the general location of Rosethorn, "is new, and doesn't know RiverClan legends! Nor does Duchess, Quickfoot, or Shadenight."

"I was born in RiverClan, Duststar-" Shadenight began, but she was cut off by her leader.

"Sure, you were, Shadenight," Duststar purred. "You've lived in RiverClan so long it's almost as if you were born here."

"_You're_ my father, Duststar. Listeningecho is my mother. My parents are the leader and deputy of RiverClan! I was born in RiverClan!"

Listeningecho was bristling even more now. "Duststar, she's right. She's your firstborn kit, don't you remem-"

Duststar went on as if Listeningecho and Shadenight hadn't spoken. "Anywho's, ShadowClan had plans to steal some of RiverClan's hunting grounds on the night after the Gathering! As it were, that night there was a storm. The first storm of Newleaf, just like the storm now!...The thunder roared in the sky, and the wind howled, and it snowed and hailed and lava spewed from the river..."

Some cat cried out, "That was some storm! In Newleaf?!"

"Of course. When else does lava spew from the river?" Duststar didn't wait for an answer. "But even through this weird Thundery, windy, haily, snowy, lavaey storm, the twelve RiverClan cats stood beside their border with ShadowClan and awaited the attack!"

"Kits, too?" Rosethorn couldn't help but gasp in horror.

"Yes. If worse came to worse, RiverClan would've pelted their enemies with their kits. It would've completely confused ShadowClan. And have you ever been hit on the head with a four-moon-old kit? It's painful. It can knock you out cold." Duststar looked thoughtful. "Shadenight, be a dear and go get Melodykit, would you? I'll demonstrate to Rosethorn the advantages of using a kit in battle by tossing your daughter at her." Before Shadenight could protest, Duststar went on. "Everyone, stop interrupting. We all need to have our memories refreshed with the tale! Anyways...where was I? Oh yes, our warrior ancestors waited by the border with ShadowClan, ready to defend their territory and fight to the last kit. They stood in a terrible storm with lightning clashing over head and rain beating against their backs."

Cinnamonfur yowled, "What happened to the lava coming out of the river?"

"Lava? In _Newleaf_? Where would the lava come from? The river? Don't be crazy," Duststar scolded. "Cinnamonfur, you've lost your talking privileges for the rest of the day. Only sane cats are allowed to make noises." Duststar quickly returned to his story. "They were brutally outnumbered, and they all knew that if ShadowClan attacked they would all die. No, not the ShadowClan cats – the RiverClan cats knew that they would die. They meaning RiverClan. Or themselves. But..."

"But ShadowClan never showed up," Listeningecho finished the story for Duststar. She lumbered onto the stone on which Duststar sat, her eyes flashing with rage as she stared down at her Clan and explained. "ShadowClan didn't want to risk fighting in a storm in which it was apparently snowing and lavaing at the same time..."

"'Lavaing'?" Duststar echoed with a snort.

Listeningecho went on. "...so they did what any sane cat would do and curled up in their dens and went to sleep. RiverClan got stood up. Our ancestors stood in the rain like mouse-brains waiting for an attack that never came. However, because they all stood in the chilling rain, snow, and nonexistent boiling lava, every one of them got sick. Every elder and kit died. The medicine cat did too, if I remember the story correctly. ShadowClan won a battle by not showing up!"

"ShadowClan lost face!" Duststar retorted. "RiverClan kept their pride!"

"But they didn't keep their kits, huh?" Listeningecho retorted.

Rosethorn's curiosity tugged at her. She doubted the truth in Duststar's story – the lava made it much less believable, but still she couldn't help but wonder how it ended. "Did ShadowClan _ever_ attack?" she asked.

Listeningecho let out a rumbling purr, and fixed her gaze onto Rosethorn's eyes. "That's the beauty of it," she chuckled, flicking her tail with glee. "When ShadowClan learned of our Clan's stupidity, they decided to not attack us. They knew that if they did, they would probably wipe out RiverClan – and they knew StarClan would be angry at them if they did that. So, instead they did the exact opposite: instead of stealing our territory, for three moons they let _us_ hunt in _their_ territory. Not only that, they sent over six warriors to stay with us and take care of us and make sure we didn't all die. The fact that our ancestors waited in a rainstorm for an attack that never came is something that RiverClan should be ashamed of: not celebrate!"

"But we will anyway!" Duststar purred not denying any of the truth in Listeningecho's claim. "For every Newleaf that I've been leader – which is not very many, since I am very young..."

One raspy, old voice cried out, "You were leader when I was a k-kit!"

"Tomorrow all the elders will be tossed into that river of lava that Cinnamonfur was talking about," Duststar meowed firmly. More softly he muttered, "That'll teach you to be a kit and grow into an elder...Oh, anyways," his mutter turned into a purr, "Every Newleaf that I've been leader...we celebrate our ancestors noble wait for the ShadowClan attack on the first storm of Newleaf! The storm that we are now enjoying!" As he spoke lightning flashed in the sky, followed by a clash of thunder. "See? So, I need eleven cats of any age to stand with me all night and guard the camp. Preferably young she-cats. Rosethorn, would you like to join in RiverClan's festivities?"

Thorntail turned to her, a shadow of unnecessary jealousy covering his eyes. "Duststar has these 'celebrations' a lot. Pretty much he stays up most of the night and plays with she-cats. If any tom stays up he sometimes shares some of his females, and...There's usually lots of fish, and some weird play fights. But mostly it's just an excuse for him to mate with a bunch of she-cats."

"More than one in _one night_?!"

"I've heard sometimes it's more than one at a time," Thorntail corrected. He glanced at Duststar. "He's so old; I don't even know where he gets the energy..."

Rosethorn's mind was made up. She looked warily up at Duststar, unsure of how to handle the situation. Duststar was the Clan leader, and she wasn't RiverClan born. She hadn't even been a RiverClan cat for a whole afternoon. She was walking on thin ice, and her position in RiverClan was at stake. "No, thank you," she meowed, not sure what else to say.

There were a few murmurs of surprise from the RiverClan cats who all believed that Rosethorn was Duststar's mate, but that was the largest reaction. Duststar simply shrugged his shoulders, and gave the same proposal to Listeningecho beside him who promptly cuffed him over the ear and stormed off.

While Duststar was rallying up she-cats for his 'celebration', most of the RiverClan cats seemed to feel that they were dismissed and scurried off with hardly a second glance at Rosethorn. She didn't know if she should be happy that no one was persecuting her outsider's blood or be sad that no one was welcoming her.

However, the short and slim black she-cat with the brown underbelly seemed curious about the newcomer. With Tigerflame beside her, the she-cat slowly creped towards Rosethorn and Thorntail.

As she drew closer, Rosethorn was amazed at how close the she-cat walked to the ground. The fur of the cat's underbelly scratched against the sand, but she was long and thin.

"Hello," the she-cat murmured, staring up at Rosethorn through tiny, beady eyes. "You've met Tigerflame," she jerked her head towards the large flame-colored tomcat. "He's my brother...from an older litter, of course. My name is Serpentpelt."

_Because you crawl on the ground like a serpent... _Rosethorn thought. The name was suitable.

Serpentpelt had black fur speckled with black and golden smudges, much like a snake's skin. Her eyes were tiny topazes deep-set into her head, but Rosethorn noticed a gleaming twinkle in them, the twinkle of a hunter who had her eyes set on prey. The twinkle of a snake's eyes.

Realizing that Serpentpelt was waiting for a reply, Rosethorn stumbled out of her name and where she came from, briefly forgetting that Duststar had already introduced her. "And this is my mate, Thorntail," she touched her tail to Thorntail's side. "But...but I guess you'd already know him..."

"I know him, alright," Serpentpelt purred glancing at Thorntail. The gray tomcat shifted uncomfortably. "But I thought you were Duststar's newest mate..."

"Duststar is a loon!" Thorntail hissed. "I'm going to kill him..."

"Have fun with that. Be careful that no cowardly apprentice sees you. They are always the fastest to squeal about things like that. They'd go and tell that new kittypet who joined recently all about the murder and in a beat of a hummingbird's wings every cat in the forest would know. Then you'd be exiled, and have no choice but to join ShadowClan and become their leader. Anyways," Serpentpelt meowed changing the subject, "Tigerflame and Thorntail were ordered to go on a hunting patrol with Darkstorm and Burnpaw... So I was thinking that I would show you around camp."

Rosethorn's claws dug into the earth beneath her paws without any orders. She hadn't really expected Thorntail to ever leave her side. Being in a new Clan, with new cats and no Thorntail...

"I'll show her around later," Thorntail meowed quickly. "She can just come with us on the hunting patrol. She can learn the territory first."

"But the Clan just ate," Serpentpelt pointed out. "They're all very happy and chipper right now. Very receptive. Very friendly."

"It's true," Tigerflame spoke up. He turned to Thorntail. "It'd be best for her to make some connections on her own without you breathing down her neck anyways. Serpentpelt will take care of her."

Serpentpelt's eyes shown. "I'll take care of her alright..."

Thorntail blinked. "Stop being so creepy..." He looked at Rosethorn. "I forgot about that hunting patrol... Listeningecho will claw my ears off if I get Cinnamonfur to replace me again. Are you okay with Serpentpelt showing you around?"

"I'm not as weird as I seem..." Serpentpelt assured her.

"She isn't. I can vouch for that," Tigerflame purred.

"I just go...a little mad sometimes."

"Serpentpelt, you're being creepy again!" Thorntail hissed.

"We all go a little mad sometimes..." Serpentpelt looked thoughtful. "Haven't you, Rosethorn?"

Rosethorn's mind wheeled towards the night before when she had felt something cruel and violent grip her as she attempted to murder Flamesoul right and before. "Yes," she admitted. "Sometimes just one time...can be enough." She shook herself.

She was going to be in Serpentpelt's Clan for the rest of her life. And Tigerflame had been so nice to her... She didn't want to offend either of them. "Okay, Serpentpelt," she purred trying to make her voice sound cheerful. "I'd like it if you walked me around camp."

Serpentpelt let out a purr. "Alright."

**

* * *

Oh, yes, great cliffhanger, huh. "Alright"**

**Anyways, I included more quotes from my favorite movie of all time...PSYCHO. The first person who can tell me what lines from that movie that I STOLE and put in this story will get to name one of a certain she-cat's kits. A certain former-medicine cat. (I won'te tell you if it's Ebonypool's or Rosethorn's, mind you!) But...yeah. **

**And the second person who gets it will get one of those shameless references. Ie: "That sounds like something Leafpool would do in xX-Secrets-Xx's stories!" (I like xX-Secrets-Xx)**

**And everyone else who figures out the lines gets a fun photo of Graywhisker and THorntail playing as kits! **

**But ANYONE who reviews gets a Serpentpelt plushie! YAY! **

**REVIEW! **


	5. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for the long wait. I hate this chapter, so I hated writing it. So...if I hate writing something, I put it off. So...yeah. In fact, you can tell how much I hate this chapter because the ending is like...super-duper rushed. But I'll go into that later. **

**First, I have a question for everyone: how do you request to ff . net to add a category of Fanfics? Because I was going to request they put up a Hitchcock section, or a Psycho section... Ugh, I want to write a Psycho fanfic so bad... (Yeah, I know, I said this would be my last fanfic...A girl's mind can change, right?)**

**Now, for the review replies: **

**Emberstorm - I'm sorry, but you didn't get the entire quotes... Sorry. Anyways, I'm glad you like Duststar. I like him too. But he annoys some people. Most of the characters I like annoy people. Probably because I myself am an annoying person... lol.**

**Koiihalo - Yes, I tried to make RiverClan more flexible and more enjoyable for Thorntail and Rosethorn. It makes what's coming up in future chapters seem like hell in the forest. But, that's later.**

**CinderDreams - Thank you!**

**Tainted Shadow Rebel - Well, Serpentpelt's quote seemed to fit in perfectly because a kittypet did join the Clan, and Thorntail has connections in ShadowClan. lol. Anyways, I like the name Emberflame - very creative name you came up with. -giggles- I wonder what I'll name Emberpaw... meh, I'll think of something. Here's your coloring book you mentioned - gives cookie instead - In speaking of nitpicking, btw, read your review. You switched the before and afterness... lol. **

**Strangefur - You got,...some of it...but sadly, somebody else got it all...So...they win. Sorry. -pats head - Good try. lol. Oh, and you have to go see Psycho right now. I love that movie. -huggles Norman Bates- **

**Cloudfire- You got it. Give me a name you'd like to see for a certain she-cat's kits. It must be a feminine name. (No, I'm not telling you which she-cat it is, but it is an important one.) -smiles-**

**xx-Secrets-xx - You got second place. I get to shamelessly reference you in the story! YAY! I wonder when I'll do it... -giggles-**

**Starsnow of EveClan - You weren't the first person... -pats head- I'm sorry. lol.**

**Pearl.H.Sweden - I like Cinnamonfur too. Oh, and Silverleaf will show up...next chapter, I think. -blinks thoughtfully- But I don't think he'll converse with either Rosethorn or Thorntail. Blackshadow and Applefur, maybe. (That's right. We get to visit ThunderClan!) **

**Steeltalon - YOU MUST GO SEE PSYCHO RIGHT NOW!! -beats over the head with a rubber chicken- SEE IT NOW!!! I can't respect you as a human being otherwise. **

**Nameless Nightmare - Thank you for the compliment! You're one of the best writers on fanfiction, so that compliment means a LOT! **

**Daklotles85 - YOU MUST SEE PSYCHO RIGHT NOW! Not the remake. The original. It's awesome. Seriously. Go see it. Rent it. Buy it. Eat it. Well...don't eat it...that would be most uncomfortable for you.**

**Raincloud's Legacy - RiverClan is weird. They're meant to be like that. I mean, I could've made Rosethorn's getting into the Clan more difficult - but that would've added unnecessary conflict, and would negate the purpose of RiverClan. RiverClan is going to be very blissful in itself... They're more realistic in this one, but...eh...they're still a little silly. (Plus, in the previous chapter, I don't know how much of their randomness was sarcasm.) **

**Watersoul the Head Star Walker - You would've won, but you're too late. I'm sorry. -pats head-**

**TawnyLeaf- You got the quotes, but other people beat you to the punchline. I'm sorry. -sniffle- **

**Swanfeather - Eh. RiverClan have calmed down in this one. **

**Stonetail's Loyalty - Why? Because I was depressed and tried to cheer myself up by writing something that would make me laugh.**

**mapleleaf - Well, you noticed a typo! YAY! -gives cookie-**

**lmblovesmilk - You're insane! YAY! -gives hug- **

**Peachfoot - Actually, some cat actually mentions how all the toms are perverts in this chapter... **

**Silent Ice - You know, now that you mention that, Serpentpelt is like a weigner dog! lol**

**Squirrelflightlover- I like Duststar, no matter what you say. -hugs RiverClan leader- **

**Mooncloud's Courage - Ugh. Homework. I hate the stuff. **

**Anyways, this chapter...well, I think it starts out good but then you can visually see how I started to get lazy and rushed to get it done. -shrugs- Oh, I also think I try to introduce too many cats WAAAAY to fast, but I had to introduce RiverClan. -shrugs- I also go into backstory to much...and...yeah. Well, you'll just have to try and bare with me. Please? Thanks! Oh, and I think I shamelessly reference myself. But, I like PROMISE that this is one of the last times I will ever put myself in the story. Okay, maybe one more time...but that's far into the future. **

* * *

Rain as sharp as a claw against flesh still fell hard against the earth, but the bawling winds and the heaven full of grey clouds were already whispering away as Rosethorn turned to Serpentpelt awaiting the she-cat's direction around the camp. Serpentpelt's black-and-gold speckled fur remained sleek with the water neatly drizzling off of it while Rosethorn's seemed to only expand and get larger and larger. If Serpentpelt noticed, she didn't comment, as she pushed her muzzle towards two hollowed out logs that lie crisscrossed over one another on the far edge of camp. "You were a medicine cat, weren't you, Dear Rose?" 

Rosethorn stared blankly at Serpentpelt. "My name isn't Deerrose, it's-"

Serpentpelt's yellow eyes gleamed with amusement as she stared at the former ThunderClan cat. "Not Deerrose. _Dear Rose_."

"I don't under-" From the firm look in Serpentpelt's eyes, Rosethorn realized that it would be best to not argue with her. Instead, Rosethorn answered the earlier question. "Yes, I was the medicine cat of ThunderClan...briefly," she added, shaper than she had intended.

"Well, our medicine cat, Blueherb, has her den there," Serpentpelt meowed flicking her tail to the crisscrossed logs. "You know her, yes?"

Rosethorn flicked her tail in answer to Serpentpelt's query. Rosethorn knew Blueherb, alright. When Flamesoul had first been chased out of ThunderClan by Streamstar, Blueherb had taken over poor Rosepaw's training. Blueherb had done her best, but it had been difficult to teach anything from across borders – especially when her own Clan was being plagued by sickness and war. But Rosethorn had always held some affection for the RiverClan medicine cat, even though they hadn't truly spoken in awhile since Rosethorn hadn't gone to the half-moon ceremonies at moonstone for medicine cats in a long while.

"Then let us go greet her," Serpentpelt announced in an eerily chipper tone. Before Rosethorn could get a word in edgewise, Serpentpelt broke into a stride across the camp. Rosethorn panted after her, only half-noticing the curious glances her new Clanmates were tossing at her.

Serpentpelt sped into the opening of one of the hollowed logs, and Rosethorn scurried in after her, relieved to escape from the rain. She looked around Blueherb's den with interest, wondering how her "mentor" had kept it. To her surprise, Blueherb didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason to where she placed her herbs. The entirety of the ground in the den and most of the walls were covered in sticky cobwebs. And, stuck to the cobwebs, were all the herbs Blueherb had collected, but there was clearly no organization to what went where. Juniper berries for stomachache were hanging in several different positions in the den alongside everything from chervil root to deadly nightshade (Why Blueherb had deadly nightshade in her den was something that Rosethorn would ponder about later) However, the cobwebs – though sticky beneath the paws – did seem to make the inside of the den much brighter, though at the same time less welcoming.

For a moment, Rosethorn thought that Blueherb wasn't in her den, but then she saw her. Blueherb was using one of her dainty dark gray forepaws to poke at a clumping of nettle seeds that lay on the cobweb-covered ground. Blueherb's brown eyes were narrowed and critical as she looked over them.

"Hello, _H_erby," Serpentpelt greeted the medicine cat. "I brought Dear Rose to meet you."

Blueherb's head shot up from the nettle seeds in an instant, her eyes glittering with annoyance. "My name is _Blue_herb, Serpentpelt. I'd honestly like it if you would stop calling be Herby. Wavepaw is starting to call me Herby too, and that's hardly respectful to m-... Rosethorn?" Blueherb seemed to just notice the ThunderClan cat in the den.

"Wavepaw calling you Herby is disrespectful to Rosethorn?" Serpentpelt's voice had a slur of sarcasm.

Blueherb ignored her Clanmate, and instead asked, "Rosethorn, what are you doing here?"

"Weren't you at the Clan meeting?" Serpentpelt asked, cocking her head to one side. "Duststar let the ThunderClan medicine cat join the Clan."

"No, I wasn't at the meeting...Why did Duststar do that?"

Serpentpelt shrugged her shoulders, and dabbed her tongue onto a single lifted forepaw. "Who knows why Duststar does _anything _anymore? He's getting so old now that part of him is already in StarClan. Only half of him is here with us, and that half of him is going to live his last life to the fullest."

Rosethorn expected the medicine cat to chastise the warrior for speaking to condescendingly about her leader, but Blueherb just nodded in understanding before she murmured, "I see." She stared helplessly at Rosethorn, the look of a mother watching her kit run down the path of destruction. "You would've been a fine medicine cat, Rosethorn."

Rosethorn flinched away as if Blueherb had taken a swipe at her. Though her words were obviously intended to be a compliment they stung with the harshness of an insult. No cat had ever told Rosethorn that she would be a fine medicine cat – except Thorntail, and Rosethorn had always suspected that it was just to be polite. But from the intense way Blueherb was staring at her, it occurred to Rosethorn that the RiverClan medicine cat wasn't just going through the motions of proper etiquette.

Before Rosethorn could thank her, another cat stormed into the den. His pelt was metallic silver. He was slimly built, and Rosethorn noticed that she couldn't see the bulging muscles along his body that most warriors and apprentices had. "Blueherb," the tomcat meowed, his voice much high implying that he was young, "I can't find any more nettle seeds. Can't you work with those?" He flicked his tail towards the seeds that Blueherb had been examining before Rosethorn and Serpentpelt had entered.

"Not if you want your Clanmates to die from my using old herbs!" Blueherb snapped, her fur bristling with annoyance. "Wavepaw, go find some _new_ nettle seeds, please? You clearly didn't look hard enough before!"

"I looked in every nook and cranny in the entirety of RiverClan territory!" The tom, presumably Wavepaw, hissed. "The nettle seeds that you are poking are the only ones in RiverClan!"

"They're old. You must've gotten these from my discard pile, you lazy, lazy sloth! Go get me some more nettle seeds!"

"There are none! Do you want me to trespass onto another Clan's territory to get some _seeds_?!"

Blueherb narrowed her eyes into slits. "Nettle seeds don't just run out. Look again!" She paused for a moment, possibly trying to let her words sink into the apprentice's mind before she continued. "Wavepaw," she meowed, her tone of voice becoming much more sweet, "have you met Rosethorn? She was ThunderClan's medicine cat before she..." Blueherb clearly didn't know how to finish, so she just trailed off.

"Before she betrayed them," Wavepaw finished, glaring icily at Rosethorn. "For Duststar? That's what Duststar said at the meeting, at least."

"So you were at the Clan meeting? Why weren't you looking for nettle seeds?!"

"I came back to eat!"

"You don't need to eat!"

"I know I'm not a medicine cat, Blueherb, but I think a cat has to eat!"

"That's a myth!"

Rosethorn ignored the nonsensical bickering between Blueherb and the apprentice. Duststar's implications and continuous flirting with her was affecting her relationship with every other RiverClan cat. "Not for Duststar," Rosethorn corrected. "For Thorntail." _Though I haven't really said to words to him since I came here…_

Blueherb took in a breath of surprise, but didn't make any other comment. Wavepaw's tawny colored eyes glinted with minute curiosity. "Thorntail?" he echoed. "You're the first she-cat that actually left her Clan for him... Not for lack of trying from the other she-cats, of course."

Serpentpelt padded to Wavepaw's side and touched noses with him for an instant. "Remember Nightstorm of ShadowClan? That she-cat just didn't know when to quit!"

Rosethorn shifted uncomfortably, and was about to comment when Wavepaw turned around and started out of the den. Over his shoulder he called, "I'm going to try to get you some nettle seeds, Blueherb. But I doubt that I'll find them."

"If you put your mind to it, you can do anything," Blueherb called after him, but if Wavepaw heard he didn't offer any signal. Blueherb made a clicking noise with her tongue, "Serpentpelt, you have to claw some respect into that one."

Rosethorn blinked in surprise. "W-wait, isn't Wavepaw _your _apprentice, Blueherb?"

The RiverClan medicine cat let out a purr of amusement, the dirty brown pools in her eyes glittering. "Of course not," she sighed shaking her head. "I'd like to have him as my apprentice, though. He has a good head on his shoulders, and he obviously likes helping others. He'd make a fine medicine cat. He's been that way since his first mentor died."

"Yup," Serpentpelt mused, swiping her tongue around her jaws. To Rosethorn she added, "It was one of my sisters from a different litter – Tigerflame's, I think. Amberpool and Wavepaw were close; I just can't compete with their bond. But no offence, Blueherb," Serpentpelt meowed suddenly, "but if you ask me, if he ends up training as a medicine cat it'll be a waste. He's a fine hunter and he is certainly an enemy in battle. He's only seven moons old, once he starts to build more muscle he will be unstoppable."

"But he's wise and caring, too," Blueherb pointed out, sniffing once more at the nettle seeds. "Even if he is too lazy to fetch fresh nettle seeds..."

"Being calm, caring, and lazy can be good attributes for a warrior, too," Serpentpelt's tone was flat. The warrior wore a melancholy expression on her face for a few heartbeats, before she nodded to the outside of the den. "We have a lot of ground to cover, Dear Rose. Let's go, shall we?"

Serpentpelt hurried out of the den on her tiny little legs, her belly scraping against some of the cobwebs as she did. Rosethorn watched her go, amazed at how fast the RiverClan warrior could run on such small limbs, before she realized that she had to hurry to catch up with her new friend. "Good-bye, Blueherb," she meowed over her shoulder before she exited the den.

Serpentpelt was padding across the camp again, and Rosethorn rushed forward to catch up, throwing up clouds of sand as she did. Rosethorn flashed her gaze around, noticing with some surprise that Duststar still had several cats rallied around him. But, as Duststar's angry expression proved, the majority were tomcats.

As Serpentpelt and Rosethorn started passed the grouping, Rosethorn noticed that Listeningecho still hadn't given up on her seemingly futile attempt to dissuade Duststar from his ridiculous celebration of RiverClan's ancestors.

"Duststar," the deputy was saying, her tan fur puffing up with rage, "this is disrespectful to all our ancestors! How can you even think of doing something so frivolous? It's a waste of time that you could be using to..."

"To what?" Duststar finished for her. "Listeningecho, we don't currently have any enemies. It's a time of peace...for RiverClan, at least. While the rest of the Clans are tearing out each other's fur, why can't we have a little fun?"

"Because we are still under StarClan!" Listeningecho's tone was desperate. "This is an insult to them! Under the front of honoring our ancestors who moronically waited in a giant storm for an attack that never came, you are going to...to..."

"Mate with she-cats of RiverClan?"

"Duststar, you're acting crazy!"

Serpentpelt and Rosethorn stopped in their tracks, both of them watching with acute interest to the peculiar scene that was playing out before them. Rosethorn noticed a slim tawny furred she-cat come to stand beside Duststar, leaf-green eyes glinting with amusement. "But the crazy need love too, Serpentpelt," the tawny female purred. Looking at Duststar, she asked, "Right, Father?"

The way the golden female had acknowledged Duststar as her father shocked Rosethorn. Cinnamonfur and Shadenight were also Duststar's kits; neither of them had ever referred to Duststar as 'father'. Whoever that tawny she-cat was, she clearly was one of Duststar's favorite kits and had a more powerful bond with him then either Cinnamonfur or Shadenight.

"Right, Tawnyleaf!" Duststar gave the she-cat a quick lick in between the ears.

"You see, Listeningecho," Tawnyleaf purred, leveling her gaze with the deputy, "the celebration is easy to understand. We're going to do what those twelve ancestors of ours _wanted to do _during that long night of waiting for that ShadowClan attack. Is that too much to ask?"

There was a brief pause in the conversation, as if Listeningecho was mulling Tawnyleaf's answer over in her head to come up with the perfect comeback, but before she could, Duststar growled, "Tawnyleaf, what do you mean _we_?! You're certainly not going to join us!"

Tawnyleaf let out a squeak of surprise. "What? W-Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to…to…do anything with any of the RiverClan toms!"

"You'd rather me do something with a ShadowClan tom like before? Well, okay Duststar, you _are_ the Clan leader…but I don't know how Smokestar will feel about that." Smokestar was ShadowClan's leader, and was incorrectly cited by most cats as Thorntail's father.

"I don't want you to do anything with anyone!"

"_Father_!"

Serpentpelt flicked her tail dismissively at the group of cats. "Duststar's always been protective of Tawnyleaf," she meowed thoughtfully. "Maybe overly so. He's the one who almost viciously pushed her into becoming a medicine cat. She always had a warrior's spirit though."

The news of Tawnyleaf sounded familiar, as did the cat's name. Rosethorn recalled that she had spoken to Tawnyleaf before, but it was fleeting from across boundaries and one time at a Gathering. But even so, Rosethorn wasn't aware of the details. "Tawnyleaf is a medicine cat?"

"_Was_," Serpentpelt's eyes glinted mischievously. "When a cat has no will or desire to be a medicine cat or a warrior, they rebel. Tawnyleaf rebelled, and did exactly what Duststar had feared she would before he made her a medicine cat: she took a mate. Not only that, a ShadowClan mate. Who gave her his kits. Oh, when Duststar found out, he was furious. It was a blind fit of rage that he would later regret, but he exiled the pregnant Tawnyleaf as soon as he found out."

"She doesn't look exiled," Rosethorn observed.

"No, she doesn't. She had her kits, but every single one of them died. Tawnyleaf tells me she ended up having two litters, five kits total. Then, she says that her ShadowClan mate died. And then her kits. Apparently they all died in really freaky accidents. A fox killed one – or maybe it was a dog - and eating some poison killed one. She never speaks about the other three, so I imagine that they had the most gruesome deaths. Maybe decapitation!"

"How pleasant…" Rosethorn glanced uncomfortably at Serpentpelt, whose voice had taken a cheerful tone when the mentioned decapitation. She suddenly felt a pang for Tawnyleaf. She and Tawnyleaf actually had very similar pasts, with slight variations. She could only imagine how Tawnyleaf had felt: being forced into becoming a medicine cat, having a forbidden mate, becoming pregnant, being exiled from the Clan for being so, then, to top it all off, losing her mate and all of her kits and then coming full circle back into RiverClan. "She must miss her kits a lot," she thought out loud.

Serpentpelt shrugged. "She says she's come to terms with it, but it's obvious that she hasn't. There was this one loner kit that lost her mother at a young age. Tawnyleaf still had milk from her dead litters, so Tawnyleaf took her in and raised her as her own. And then Tawnyleaf named her after one of the daughters she lost. Rinoa. She joined the Clan with Tawnyleaf. You'll meet her soon, I'm sure."

"I've met her before, at a Gathering."

Serpentpelt didn't seem interested. "Well, we should continue our tour. Would you like to see the nursery?"

It didn't appear to matter to Serpentpelt whether Rosethorn wanted to see the nursery or not. The short she-cat rushed to the lilac bush Rosethorn had noticed previously, and together, the two she-cats slipped in.

Inside the nursery was just as beautiful as the outside. Between the lilacs and the leaves, silver feathers were woven decorating the den in a lovely way. The river was rushing outside, and the rain was beating against the lilac walls of the den while the kits yowled for milk. It was nearly impossible to hear yourself think, but it was still pretty nonetheless.

"Hello, Queens!" Serpentpelt announced. The RiverClan warrior eyed each queen individually, and called her by name indirectly introducing Rosethorn to them.

"Queen Quickfoot," Serpentpelt announced nodding politely to a slim, wiry tabby she-cat with WindClan scent clinging to her fur. Quickfoot was lying on her side, allowing two kits to suckle from her, and Rosethorn quickly made the connection that Quickfoot was Duststar's mate – the one that from WindClan that he had been talking about. Quickfoot's eyes rounded when she noticed Rosethorn examining her, and she dug her muzzle into the backs of her kits, as if she were trying to hide from her.

"Queen Fogpelt," Serpentpelt nodded at a pale gray she-cat who was lying lazily on her side, her belly swollen with kits. Fogpelt, unlike Quickfoot, levelly met Rosethorn's gaze, with some warmth lighting up her golden eyes.

"Queen Drizzlestep," Serpentpelt greeted a chubby ebony-furred female who was speckled with gray spots – like rain in the middle of the night. Drizzlestep simply nodded at Rosethorn before she ran her tongue over her single kit, which didn't look to be older than a few days.

"And," Serpentpelt padded deeper into the den, and rested her muzzle on the last queen in the den, "finally, RiverClan's pride and joy, the apple of our eyes, the face of beauty… _Queen Shadenight_!"

Rosethorn cringed. Owlpelt had told her once before that RiverClan had doted on Shadenight, the daughter of the Clan leader and most beautiful cat in the forest, but she had never thought that it would be so blatantly obvious. The way Serpentpelt had introduced her was almost over the top, but there was not a single hint of jealousy in her voice at all.

Shadenight, who had been resting her head on her paws while her single black cat had climbed all over her, slowly raised her neck and calmly met Rosethorn's eyes. Shadenight's eyes, which had once lit up with frantic jealousy, rage, and hatred whenever she looked at Rosethorn now just stared calmly at the newest member of the Clan, curiosity overriding any other emotion.

Shadenight's kit climbed up her mother's neck and settled her tiny body on her head. She was simply a copy of Shadenight, the same exact body except slightly smaller, and one single forepaw was white. The kit was clearly going to be the heartbreaker of the future…or, like Shadenight had been, the one who would have her heart broken.

"Mommy," the kit asked, batting her single white paw against Shadenight's ears, "who is 'dat?" She nodded at Rosethorn.

Shadenight didn't take her shimmering eyes off of Rosethorn as she answered. "That's Rosethorn, Melodykit."

"Oh, you mean the piece of sh-"

"Shush, Melodykit!" Shadenight scolded, while Rosethorn flinched at what the kit had almost called her. Then it occurred to her that she didn't know what the kit had almost called her. Piece of fox-dung? Fox-dung didn't make a 'shhhh' sound…

"This is Dear Rose!" Serpentpelt purred, batting her head playfully against Rosethorn's side.

"Deerrose?" Melodykit giggled. "That's a silly name!"

Serpentpelt shook her head. "Not Deerrose, _Dear Rose_."

Rosethorn still didn't under stand the difference. "My name is Rosethorn," she announced.

Fogpelt cocked her head to one side, her eyes clouding with curiosity. "Are you pregnant with Duststar's kits, Rosethorn? Is that why you're here?"

"No, I'm not, and never will be," Rosethorn's voice was firm. She was growing tired of having to explain to every cat that Duststar was just her Clan leader and nothing more.

Fogpelt didn't seem to understand. "Do you have some sort of…health condition that makes it incapable for you to have kits?"

"Do you really think Duststar would bother with_ another _she-cat that couldn't have kits?" Drizzlestep's voice was condescending. "Duststar only likes she-cats that can give him kits that will ensure that he lives on in RiverClan once he's gone, if you ask me."

Fogpelt's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I always thought that Duststar just liked the act that came _before _the kits…" Fogpelt glanced up at Rosethorn. "You're positive you don't have Duststar's kits in you?"

"I am not carrying Duststar's kits!"

"At least there's somebody who isn't!" Drizzlestep purred, looking at her single young kit. "I was, until just the other day when I gave birth to Hazelkit."

Rosethorn glanced at Duststar's youngest daughter, her whiskers twitching with awe as she saw how tiny the little scruff was. It reminded her of when she had been in ThunderClan and almost every she-cat had started to pop kits out of her tummy. She had almost forgotten how cute the youngest of kits were, before they learned to talk and get into things. "Hazelkit is very beautiful," Rosethorn complimented Drizzlestep politely.

Drizzlestep seemed pleased with the compliment she paid. "Yes, she is. I'm hoping that she takes after whichever one of Duststar's ancestors gave Shadenight _her _looks," she nodded at Hazelkit's half-sister. She looked over at the tabby WindClan queen, who had sat quietly and just calmly started grooming her kits. "Quickfoot's she-kit, Rushkit, is pretty too. I don't care what anyone says: it might be wrong, but whenever you mix the blood of two Clans you get a beautiful outcome. Rushkit has that exotic sensual beauty of a WindClan cat but at the same time that sophisticated looks of a RiverClan cat."

"The pattern seems to be true," Fogpelt agreed. "Thorntail and Graywhisker are half-Clan, and they always looked so handsome."

"Thorntail can have any she-cat he wants," Serpentpelt agreed, glancing at Rosethorn. Rosethorn felt something flutter in her stomach, and that it bit into her, like some sort of pain. She didn't know what it was, but she didn't like the feeling.

"Graywhisker could've had any cat he wanted, too," Drizzlestep pointed out. "StarClan rest his soul."

Rosethorn stiffened at the mention of Graywhisker's name. She supposed that a young warrior's suicide would be hot gossip in any Clan, but she never thought that they would bring him up so casually and so long after his death. She couldn't help but notice that Shadenight stiffened too, looking down at her paws guiltily, as if she still blamed herself for Graywhisker's passing.

_Moons after Graywhisker's suicide and still half of all the cats in the forest blames themselves for his death, _Rosethorn thought, remembering Thorntail's eternal guilt.

She tried to get off the subject of Thorntail's brother as quickly as possible. "Drizzlestep is right about your kits, Quickfoot," she meowed, nodding at the two bundles of fur at her stomach. "They are very cute. Rushkit will wrap all the toms around her paw. And…what's the other one's name?"

Quickfoot hesitated before answering. "H-his name is Harekit."

"He looks strong," Rosethorn purred. "Strong and quick."

"That's the W-WindClan blood in him," Quickfoot pointed out. She sounded so worried when she said it, as if she should never mention the mixed blood her kits had in their veins.

"The best of WindClan and the best of RiverClan!" Serpentpelt meowed in a friendly manner. "They'll be fine warriors, Quickfoot. We just need to wait for them to grow up."

Rosethorn was thankful that she seemed to have successfully stopped the conversation about Graywhisker. Shadenight looked grateful as well, and she sounded almost polite when she meowed, "I bet Duststar is proud."

"He hasn't seen them yet."

That news shocked Rosethorn. "But they look to be at least two moons old!"

"Three," Quickfoot corrected.

"Three moons old and he never saw his kits?!"

"Don't sound so angry, Rosethorn," Serpentpelt shrugged her shoulders. "Duststar's a very busy leader, and he doesn't acknowledge most of his kits. Except Tawnyleaf, and sometimes I don't count her."

Rosethorn didn't get to ask why Serpentpelt sometimes didn't count her, because the snaky warrior suddenly meowed, "Well, Rosethorn and I still have a lot of the camp to look at so…"

"Wait," Shadenight cut her off, "Serpentpelt, you never told us…If Rosethorn isn't here for Duststar's pleasure, why_ is_ she here?"

Serpentpelt seemed to have learned from the numerous other cats that Rosethorn already told. "Dear Rose is Mourny Thorny's mate." Rosethorn translated Mourny Thorny to meaning Thorntail.

Clouds of emotion fogged up the blue sky of Shadenight's eyes, but they quickly faded away. "Really?" she mused.

"Really," Rosethorn meowed, harsher than she had intended. Serpentpelt didn't catch the tension that was rising between the two she-cats, and instead meowed a final farewell and slinked out of the den.

Outside, Duststar and Tawnyleaf were still arguing. Tawnyleaf's lion-colored fur was fluffed up with more than rain, but her leaf-green eyes were wide and pleading. "Please, Father? What's wrong with the RiverClan toms?"

Duststar shrugged. "We're all too…excited by she-cats! We take mates, give them kits, and that's it. We just mate for mating, there is no love involved."

"But father…"

Duststar's fox-colored eyes softened as he looked at his daughter. For the first time since Rosethorn had joined RiverClan, she heard the Clan leader speak with an authorative tone, the tone that one would expect a leader to have when he spoke to his daughter. "Tawnyleaf, I probably won't be around for a season more. I just want my favorite daughter to stand by my side and be mine and mine alone until I join StarClan. When I am dead, you may have any RiverClan tom that you like."

"Don't talk like that," Tawnyleaf sighed. "You'll be around for many more seasons."

"I don't _want_ to be around for many more seasons. I'm old. I don't like being old. I liked being young much better."

Tawnyleaf seemed to realize that it was silly to argue. "Fine," she sighed. "I'm going to go annoy Blueherb," she mumbled and slinked off towards the medicine cat's den.

Duststar watched her go, the tip of his tail twitching thoughtfully, before he turned back to the mob of cats around him. "However, you other she-cats aren't all my favorite daughter or my daughter at all, so feel free to help celebrate the courage of your warrior ancestors! Duchess?" he looked curiously at a fluffy-pelted white female, who blinked in surprise.

Duchess spoke with a peculiar accent. "Me, _Cherie_? Duststar, they aren't my warrior ancestors. Wouldn't they be insulted if I joined in the festivities?" Rosethorn recalled that Duchess had been a kittypet before Duststar…collected her.

"You're a RiverClan cat now. Their as much your ancestors as they are mine."

"Oh. Lovely! Yes, I shall join you in the celebration of your ancestors, Duststar!"

The RiverClan leader's jaws parted in a silent laugh. "Excellent! Anyone else?"

Listeningecho was still beside her leader, her ears flat against her head in a mixture of raw fury and embarrassment. "A kittypet? She doesn't have _any_ warrior blood in her! Duststar, stop insulting StarClan!"

"Oh, but it's fun to insult StarClan!"

"No it isn't!"

"Oh, they like it!"

"No they don't!"

"How would you know?!" Duststar fired at her. "Have _you _ever spoken to them?!"

Listeningecho had no answer to this.

"I have," Duststar retorted. "I can't tell you much, but I will say that ol' Riverstar likes being made fun of more than he likes trying to rain fire onto ShadowClan – which is a lot!"

Serpentpelt had stopped in her tracks and was just looking thoughtfully at the group of RiverClan cats who were mulling about, probably wondering if they should join their leader or not. "I think I might join them. Depends on which of my Clanmates will join the festivities. What do you think, Dear-"

Serpentpelt broke off, as an old, pale silvery-gray she-cat limped past her, briefly brushing her pelt past the warrior. Serpentpelt watched with round curious eyes as the cat that was clearly and elder limped towards where Duststar, Listeningecho, and Duchess were still speaking. The cat's legs were withered with age, her fur cold, silvery, and stainless. There was an aura of untouchable glory about her as she marched straight up to her Clan leader, and dug her own fiery orbs into Duststar's eyes, not taking her gaze off of him as she spoke to Duchess. Any other time Rosethorn would've thought that the elder's eyes were so bad that she didn't realize that she was speaking to her leader and not the former kittypet, but from the anger flashing in the orange depths Rosethorn realized that the old she-cat was just making sure that the leader didn't run off on her.

"Duchess," the she-cat's voice was cracked and broken with age, "if you value yourself, I wouldn't ever let Duststar touch you."

Duchess blinked curiously. "Why not, Hazetail?"

The elder spat crossly at the earth, her rage practically bristling off of every hair on her pelt. The other RiverClan cats seemed to sense it, and they all backed away nervously as if they were afraid that the elder would attack without a yowl of warning. "Duststar will do nothing but infect you. He infects every one of his mates these days. He probably got it from that WindClan tramp. He gave it to Drizzlestep since then, though she's too dumb to realize it yet. And he'll give it to you as soon as you lay down with him."

Duchess didn't seem to understand. "What do you-?"

Hazetail clearly wasn't listening. The elder whipped away from Duststar and Rosethorn suddenly realized that the elder was glaring at her.

"You!" the elder spat. "You're that ThunderClan medicine cat, aren't you?"

Rosethorn hadn't expected to be drawn into the conversation. She was startled, but she was able to answer calmly. "Not anymore, no."

"But were you?"

"Yes."

"And you left your Clan?" Hazetail's fire-colored eyes narrowed into slits. "For forbidden love?"

"Y-yes."

Hazetail's eyes flashed with fear. "Did you lay down with Duststar?!"

Rosethorn looked quizzically at Serpentpelt. "You mean…lie down next to Duststar? Does he have a disease? Is it_ that_ contagious?" She looked back at the elder when she saw Serpentpelt give no reply. "I…I _stood _next to Duststar…is that bad?"

Hazetail looked annoyed. "I mean did you roll in the moss with Duststar?"

"I haven't seen any moss since I got here…"

Hazetail's fur bristled more. "I'm sorry," she sighed, overly sweet. "I forgot your ThunderClan blood. ThunderClan cats notoriously have the sense of a rabbit who just stuffed himself on poppy seeds." Her voice grew hard. "Did you, or did you not _mate with Duststar_?!"

Serpentpelt giggled. Rosethorn gave her a single scathing glance, before she answered the elder. "No, I did not mate with Duststar."

"That's all I wanted to know," the elder sighed. "I suppose StarClan will spare you from the most seductive death of them all. But if you have any sense at all you will never roll around with Duststar."

"I don't have any intention to do so. I never did. My mate is Thorntail."

"Good," Hazetail nodded. "The love would be forbidden, even if you are in RiverClan. Cats of different blood are not to mate. StarClan have peculiar ways of punishing those who break their laws…" she paused. "Did you say Thorntail?"

"Yes."

The elder's claws were unsheathed, and her muscles tensed. Rosethorn prepared just in case the elder lunged for her, which seemed like a fair possibility because Hazetail was leveling her up. But finally, Hazetail simply growled, "I'll deal with you and Thorntail later…"

She paused. "StarClan has ways of punishing those who disrespect them!" She fired, whipping around to glare at the leader once more. "Duststar, you will murder RiverClan with these shenanigans."

Duststar chuckled. "Shenanigans...that's a fun word to say, I think."

Hazetail swept on. "You disrespect your ancestors, the warrior code, and StarClan in itself. But most of all you disrespect RiverClan. Our warriors – and you – have better things to do than just dance in the moonlight all night! There is peace now, Duststar, but it won't last. Not forever. You're getting old, Duststar, you're as old as me…but just because you won't be around for the next generation doesn't mean you ruin the Clan for them! Listeningecho will have enough to worry about when she's leader than all the lazy warriors you will create. Mouse-brain!" Hazetail practically spat the last word at the leader.

Rosethorn looked doubtfully at Duststar. Listeningecho had been arguing against Duststar's romp that night since he had announced it, and so far, Duststar hadn't budged a whisker's width. There was no way he was going to call of the celebration of the twelve RiverClan cats who stood in the rain ready to fire their kits at ShadowClan just because Hazetail told him to.

Duststar looked softly at Hazetail. "I'm-I'm sorry, Hazetail," he stuttered out, flattening his ears against his head. "I didn't mean to insult you…Eh… Sorry," he sighed, looking meaningfully around at the Clan. "I am calling off the celebration. I suppose it is an insult to StarClan."

Listeningecho nearly fell onto the ground. "That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time!"

Hazetail nodded at the deputy. "Yes, and you did a good job at wearing him down for me. At least the deputy of RiverClan has a scrap of sanity in her." She flashed a glare at Duststar, before she started away, probably to the elder's den.

Duststar nearly knocked Duchess and Listeningecho over to follow her. "Hazetail, wait! I didn't think that it was disrespectful. Honestly, I didn't! _Hazetail!"_

Rosethorn watched him go, awe wrapping itself all around her. She turned to Serpentpelt who was simply watching her leader with amusement. "Who is Hazetail?" Rosethorn sputtered out.

Serpentpelt shrugged. "Didn't you just see? She's the _real _leader of RiverClan."

Rosethorn didn't understand. And Serpentpelt must've seen this from the way she was looking at her, because the RiverClan warrior let out a purr of amusement. "She's Duststar's mate. You know how everyone always says that for every great tomcat there's a she-cat right behind him? Well, Wise Hize is the cat who has Duststar wrapped around her paw."

"Duststar has a lot of mates," Rosethorn pointed out, ignoring Serpentpelt's peculiar name to Hazetail. "I mean, I just spoke to Drizzlestep and Quickfoot, and then there's Duchess, and if Listeningecho had Duststar's kits…"

"Well, I don't know the full story," Serpentpelt admitted. "But I do know that Wise Hize and Duststar first fell in love when they were apprentices. When they got their warrior names, they tried to have kits. It took a lot of work for them…something was wrong with Wise Hize, I think. But soon she did become a queen. However, when she gave birth, all of her kits were dead…"

"That's terrible!" Rosethorn burst out.

"They tried again. And again. But every single time the kits died before the birth in Wise Hize's-"

"Call her Hazetail, please," Rosethorn begged. "Just for this story. It's too confusing otherwise."

"You're somewhat annoying, Dear Rose," Serpentpelt sighed. "Um…oh, every single time she had kits, they either died inside Hazetail's stomach or a day or so after they were born. Hazetail soon felt so bad that she couldn't actually mother any kits for Duststar that she told him to take any she-cat he wanted and give her his kits, that way he could be a father. He never followed through with her advice until he got older, though. Then he took her advice to the extreme…"

"Poor Hazetail," Rosethorn realized out loud. "She never got to mother any kits…"

"Not physically," Serpentpelt shrugged. "But twice there were kits whose mothers died giving birth, but a kit survived. Hazetail usually had milk that she produced when she had the kits, so she was able to nurse them. It was from two different queens though, so none of the kits she nursed were ever kin. But Lightsnow and Tawnyleaf were nursed next to each other, and raised as sisters."

"Lightsnow?" Rosethorn echoed. "Isn't she Thorntail's mother?"

Serpentpelt nodded. "Yes. Everyone's always talking about the similarities between the two. I wouldn't know, though. Lightsnow was already in ShadowClan during my first memory, and she died there, so I never met her."

"So…Tawnyleaf and Lightsnow weren't kin?"

"Nope."

"Oh." Rosethorn sighed. She had thought that maybe Tawnyleaf and Thorntail were related – Thorntail always seemed so lonely without anyone closely blood related to him. "But didn't they both have a father in Duststar?"

"No. This was before Duststar started bopping around from she-cat to she-cat."

"So…" Rosethorn blinked in surprise. "Tawnyleaf and Duststar aren't kin? She called him father…she was the only cat who called him father…"

"Lightsnow called him father, too, from what I hear," Serpentpelt shrugged. "Duststar only formed a bond with the kits that Hazetail raised. They were – are, in Tawnyleaf's case - his favorites."

Rosethorn nodded blankly. She hadn't meant to go into so much detail about Duststar and Hazetail's relationship, but it did seem queer to her the way Duststar treated his first beloved mate and his real kin. She was about to propose that they continue the tour, for she hadn't yet been introduced to the apprentices or many of the warriors besides Serpentpelt, Tigerflame, and Cinnamonfur…and then Owlpelt, Puddlespots, Speedtail and Thorntail, who she already knew. But before she could make an offer, Shadenight came rushing out of the nursery, a small bounce of joy in her step.

"Serpentpelt, Rosethorn," Shadenight's voice was so sweet that Rosethorn felt her teeth rotting, "Fogpelt, Icefire, and I were going to go on a quick jog around the territories. We were wondering if you two would like to come along. Good way to learn the territory for Rosethorn…and get to know the other she-cats of the Clan, right?"

Rosethorn hesitated. Even if Shadenight wasn't interested in Thorntail – and Rosethorn assumed that was the case, since Shadenight had a mate in Owlpelt and a kit – she doubted that the ebony-furred queen would just up and make friends with her former rival. The rival who had defeated her.

But Serpentpelt answered for her. "That sounds fun," the warrior purred. "But…who will watch your daughter, Melodykit?"

"Quickfoot said that she would."

"Alright!" Serpentpelt seemed almost giddy now, much different than she had been just a short while ago, when she had seemed creepy and dark. "Where are Icefire and Fogpelt?"

A mew of greeting alerted them to the cats' approaching. Rosethorn assumed that the sleek, slim white she-cat was Icefire. She had soft green eyes and a strikingly pink nose. Fogpelt was beside her.

"Hello, Rosethorn," Icefire meowed when she was beside her, "I'm Icefire."

"Hello," Rosethorn greeted. To Serpentpelt she meowed, "I don't know if I should go anywhere. Thorntail will be back from his patrol soon, and I'm sure he probably wants to spend some time with me."

Shadenight's eyes glinted and she jerked her muzzle forward. "Well, there's Thorntail now, coming back from said patrol. Why don't you ask him?"

Rosethorn turned her head to see if the black she-cat was telling the truth. Sure enough, she saw the gray tomcat shaking dodging the rain drops as he padded towards the group of she-cats. There was no denying the uncontained joy that was glittering in his sapphire eyes as he noticed Rosethorn.

"Hiya, Rosethorn!" he purred, playfully digging his muzzle into her side. "Did Serpentpelt show you around?"

"She showed me almost everything," Rosethorn purred, with a grateful look at her new friend. "And she told me some of interesting gossip."

Thorntail's whiskers twitched. "She told you how Dustyfoot thinks that Duststar is the father of Fogpelt's kits and Duststar thinks Dustyfoot is the father?"

Rosethorn blinked in surprise. "No, she didn't tell me that…" she looked awkwardly at Fogpelt, who though she should've, didn't look embarrassed in the least. "She told me about Duststar and Hazetail…"

Thorntail nodded. "Ah, she told you about the time that Hazetail killed Duststar?"

"No…just about their relationship."

"Boring stuff. I see."

Serpentpelt looked indignant. "Thorntail, Hazetail didn't kill Duststar! She pushed him into the mouth of a venomous adder that killed Duststar." Serpentpelt giggled. "What a silly way for a Clan leader to lose his first life…"

"Not as silly as the time when he literally ate until he died," Fogpelt put in. "He just kept stuffing the fish in. I thought he would explode."

"He was so chubby…" Serpentpelt agreed, her whiskers twitching at the recollection.

Shadenight stepped between Rosethorn and Thorntail. "Rosethorn wanted to come with us and explore some of the territory together. Do you mind if we borrow her?"

Rosethorn stiffened. She had never said that she wanted to go. She wanted to stay behind and be with Thorntail. Great StarClan, they had spent more time together when they had been in different Clans!

For a heartbeat, Thorntail looked hurt. But he was somehow able to conceal it quickly, and soon his eyes gleamed with his old self. "Oh, okay then. I'll see you later, okay, Rosethorn? I guess I'll find Wavepaw and tell him that the nettle seeds he was looking for are nearby the twoleg farm," He meowed a final farewell, before he ran off to find Serpentpelt's apprentice.

Shadenight watched him go, before turning to the other she-cats. "Serpentpelt, Fogpelt, Icefire, Rosethorn…let's go, shall we?"

ThornGray 

Luckily for Rosethorn, the rain let up shortly after they exited the camp. In place of the clouds, the golden sun smiled warmly down at the five she-cats, as if their aimless wandering amused him. The territory was hilly, but Rosethorn didn't mind as much this time as she had when she had been walking towards the RiverClan camp. The whole placed looked alien and foreign; it was hard for Rosethorn to imagine that the territory was hers now.

"So, Rosethorn, you're Duststar's mate?" Shadenight's question was casual, but it was starting to get on Rosethorn's nerves that every cat in the Clan felt a need to ask it.

As annoyed as she was, she was still able to answer calmly, "No, my mate is Thorntail."

Icefire chuckled. "Ah, yes. Thorntail." She nodded, as if the tom's name brought up some nostalgia.

"My mate was Thorntail, once," Fogpelt meowed casually, before she broke out into purrs of remembered pleasure.

As Icefire and Fogpelt glanced at each other with glee at their similar experiences, Rosethorn felt that ugly feeling in the bottom of her stomach again.

"Did you mate yet?" Shadenight asked.

Rosethorn opened her mouth to answer 'I don't believe that's any of your business' but before she was able to form the words, Icefire butted in. "Of course she's mated with Thorntail!" the RiverClan she-cat growled. "Every she-cat in the forest, including the loners and half the kittypets have 'rolled with Thorntail' as Hazetail would say…Not that we can blame them. It's not Thorntail's fault that he gives so much pleasure, ne?"

Fogpelt nodded in agreement. "I remember when and I…you know. He was so adorable. He was…gee; I think at that point he was ShadowClan which just made everything all the more…daring. Especially when he took me to WindClan territory – on their lookout hill? No cat was looking out up there but us… Gosh." She in took a breath with the memory. "That afternoon was wild. Especially when a WindClan she-cat caught us though. Thorntail had me run away, and he stayed behind. I think Thorntail took that WindClan she-cat as his next catch."

Icefire looked at her curiously. "Which WindClan she-cat?"

"I actually think it was Quickfoot. She was still in WindClan, back then." Fogpelt chuckled, not seeming the least bit angry that Thorntail took another mate just a day after she was his.

Rosethorn looked at Fogpelt. Her heart started to beat in her chest so hard she was worried it would break out, accidentally on purpose get swallowed by Fogpelt and then choke her to death. Soon, Rosethorn started to fantasize about it.

_Calm down, Rosethorn. You_ knew_ Thorntail passed himself around. _

"Uh…can we talk about something else?" she asked politely. "The rain stopped," she observed out loud.

No cat seemed to hear her.

"The first time Thorntail 'laid down' with me," Icefire began, and Rosethorn didn't hear the next few words. Her mind was blaring. _The first time? There had been more?! _

She caught a few more of Icefire's words. "I think, quite honestly, that that was the best night of my life. Thorntail is just so…Oh, StarClan, he's so gorgeous…"

"And strong," Fogpelt added.

"Funny," Shadenight put in.

"And he's romantic too," Serpentpelt said. "When Thorntail and I were mates," _Serpentpelt?! No, not you too! _"He took me to the edge of the river. It was beautiful. All the stars were reflected in the water, and the moon was full – we hadn't been chosen to go the gathering- and he turned to me. He told me that I was the most beautiful she-cat that he had ever seen…Oh, I know he was lying, but it was just so nice. He had padded after me for two days previously, so I know that he liked me… And well…"

Rosethorn closed her ears as Serpentpelt went into the more gruesome details of her affair with Thorntail. Maybe she should go back to camp. She just felt so uncomfortable, and that weird feeling in her stomach just kept pounding harder and harder. It seemed to rise up to the bile of her mouth, because suddenly she felt a bitter taste on her tongue. She didn't want to be here. She was the one Thorntail loved. The only one. What these cats said didn't matter…

The feeling in her stomach was yowling at her otherwise. Rosethorn wanted to tell it to shut up, but she felt that that particular action would seem weird.

Then, Shadenight had to top it off.

"That's nothing, Serpentpelt," Shadenight sighed. Her eyes glinted as she began to tell her tale. "Thorntail and I were apprentices…so it was forbidden right there. And I feel guilty for doing this, since I had promised myself to Graywhisker but…"

"Oh, how could anyone resist the temptation of Thorntail?" Icefire sighed.

"Hey, don't go belittling Graywhisker!" Serpentpelt snapped. "Every she-cat in RiverClan liked either Graywhisker or Thorntail. They were so different, but at least one of them appealed to everyone's tastes. It was only when Graywhisker died that Thorntail got the attention of every single female."

"I see there's one she-cat here who was crushing on Graywhisker," Fogpelt observed mischievously.

Shadenight flicked her tail to silence the other she-cats. "Let me tell my story, _please,"_ she growled. She paused for a moment, as if to make sure that she had everyone's attention. "Well… I was sleeping in the apprentice's den. I felt something nudge me awake…and I looked up and I saw Thorntail looking at me. At first I thought it was Graywhisker, and I was excited – I thought that Graywhisker finally decided that he wanted to mate with me. But then Thorntail corrected me…but, at that point, I didn't care. He snuck me out of camp…We dodged our own warriors, because a pair of apprentices weren't meant to be out alone at night. Anyways, I didn't know where he was leading me…but soon I found myself in FourTrees. I thought he was crazy when he led me to the Great Rock. Well, apparently, there's like, a cave beneath it. He led me down there…it was so romantic! The moonlight was filtering in just enough to light it up so we could see each other clearly…And the surroundings. He had a nice mossy nest laid out and everything. And then, before we did anything…" Shadenight's sapphire eyes were glowing with the recollection, and she flashed her tongue out as if she were trying to taste the memories. "He told me that no matter what I did to him, or who I belonged to…or what happened in our futures, that he would always love me." Shadenight looked smugly at Rosethorn. "What was your night with Thorntail like?"

Rosethorn stopped in her tracks, and just stared at Shadenight. Thorntail had taken her to the Great Rock for their first time? That was the exact place that he had taken Rosethorn the night before to shelter from the rain...that was where she had given herself to Thorntail as his mate. She had scented Shadenight, but had dismissed it. She had never imagined that he had taken Shadenight there for their first night together, too!

She felt her claws slide out of the sheaths as she pictured Thorntail and Shadenight rolling on the mossy bedding that Rosethorn and Thorntail had just rolled on. Their black and gray pelts smashed together, the most gorgeous she-cat, the most handsome tom…together… Two RiverClan cats… The perfect couple.

Rosethorn couldn't stand it anymore. She whipped around and charged back to camp, her steps hot with anger. She had known that Thorntail had mated with a lot of she-cats. She had known. Her best friend, Applefur, had been Thorntail's mate for one night! But Rosethorn had never been given the intimate details, the location, the feelings, the declarations of love…

And, besides Applefur, none of his mates had ever had a face. Every once in awhile they would be brought up by some cat, but they were always just names. They didn't have faces, personalities, and histories. Almost like they were just background noise, something that didn't really happen. But she had just been slapped in the face by it. She had gone on a patrol with four other she-cats: Serpentpelt, Fogpelt, Icefire, Shadenight and all of them had mated with Thorntail. Four she-cats, in one Clan! And then there was the last Gathering where had had gone to WindClan for the sole reason to mate with she-cats! How many had there been total? Was Rosethorn really anything special? After all, he had said that he loved Shadenight and would always love her no matter what happened!

Her raw jealousy quickly turned into raw anger, and it mulled inside her as she stormed back to the RiverClan camp.

And Thorntail! He had seen what she-cats she had been going to explore the territory with. Why didn't he warn her?! She would've understood. Instead, he just lets he walk off with she-cats that had once been his mates.

And Shadenight! Rosethorn repeated the conversation in her mind. Shadenight had steered the conversation right on target: she got everyone to tell her story about Thorntail. Not that it took much edging on. All the she-cats seemed to cherish their memory of Thorntail and felt honor in swapping their stories. In ThunderClan the she-cats never talked about who they mated with and where… Well, Applefur confided in Rosethorn what she and Blackshadow did…but…

Rosethorn stopped in her tracks. Applefur confided in her about Blackshadow because she knew that she was more or less an infidel medicine cat. The other ThunderClan cats talked about their mates all the time, but had avoided doing so around Rosethorn because she was a medicine cat. Why was everyone so mate-crazy?! Why was T-Roxie-I making every cat in the fanfic so horny!?

Rosethorn must've started moving again, because the next thing she knew she was staring Thorntail in the face.

His eyes glimmered with joy, as if he were completely innocent. "Hi, Rosethorn…where is-"

Rosethorn didn't let him finish. "Is there a she-cat in the Clan that you didn't mate with?!" she fired. Before he could answer, she swept on. She couldn't very well hide anywhere in the camp, she didn't know anyone except for Serpentpelt who was still gossiping with the other she-cats about whatever other tomcat they all shared. "I'm going to teach myself to fish!" was the first thing she could think of to say, and she whipped around and charged out of camp. Again.

* * *

**Oh, poo. Rosethorn's mad. Of course, I can't blame her. After hearing a bunch of girls talk about how they slept with MY boyfriend would make me get mad too. I hope Thorntail can come up with some fluffy way to solve this!**

**Review and you get a... -pause- Wavepaw plushie? **


	6. Chapter 4

**First off, just let me thank everyone for their kind reviews! It really made me put the pedal to the metal! And here, this chapter is 15 pages long. Uh...I see a few places where it was rushed, but as I said, I had writer's block... So I tried to get out of the places where I was having problems ASAP. And I did. So I wrote the chapter. YAY!**

**As for everyone's contributions to this chapter, I thank everyone. I actually used a little from almost every single one... **

**The only thing depressing about this is that, like, at the pace I was going previously, techinically this story should've been finished already. But my long breaks add up...and...Yeah. Sorry. **

**I can't reply to the reviews because of time-issues, but I did read and appreciate every single one! Thank you sooooo much! I was surprised that so many of you are still reading this, I'm flattered! So I promise to see all of you through until the very end of this thing!**

**This chapter isn't my best work, and is definitely rushed in a few key-areas, but I think all-in-all it's a decent chapter. With a few promises that Flamesoul and Graywhisker's memories are still bugging our two heroes...**

**Without further ado, here's your chapter - I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Enjoy, **

_

* * *

__Sometimes an innocent must suffer for the well-being of the entire Clan. Rosepaw believed this; her mother had explained it to her when she was a kit, her father had given her endless examples of the warrior code's concept in the form of myths and legends, and Flamesoul-Dearest had told made a point to inform her of that fact the moment she became his apprentice. _

_It was cruel. _

_Rosepaw had known that. But she never paid that much attention to that piece of the Warrior Code. It didn't concern her. She would never be the innocent cat sacrificed for ThunderClan. And even if she was, she would be remembered as a heroine. A great medicine cat that went down for her Clan. She would be the legendary Roseflight (she always imagined that as her name. Roseflight, so she could fly over the skies and see danger coming from far in the distance), mentored by the honorable Flamesoul. Honored, revered, remembered... loved... _

"I love you," _the words were warm, kind, the most beautiful thing one cat could say to another. But the voice that spoke them to her was hard, and the glinting emerald eyes were filled with something that wasn't love. Something colder, something crueler..._

_But she didn't pick it up then. She had been so young, didn't yet know how to hear more than what was being said, didn't know yet that that was the first hint to yowl, screech, and ultimately turn and run. _

_Instead, she simply looked at him through her clear blue eyes, a purr rising in her throat... _"I love you too, Flamesoul."_ For she _did_ love Flamesoul. He had taught her everything, and he was so caring. She loved him almost as much as she had loved her father. And when she grew up, she wanted to be just like Flamesoul. Strong like Flamesoul, kind like Flamesoul, wise like Flamesoul, pure like Flamesoul... _

_But what came next was something conceived of neither admiration nor love. It tore into Rosepaw's soul like an enemy's fang, scratching and tearing leaving scars that would never go away, never stop howling in her dreams at night (Warriors fought in the daylight in the battlefield against enemy warriors of other Clans, Rosethorn fought in the middle of the night against enemies of her past.) _

_But then, as soon as it had begun, the nightmare ended. Streamstar sent Flamesoul away, so she would never have to see him again. Never. Yes, Flamesoul came back for only a little bit. But after he tried to do the bad thing again (the bad thing. The thing that must never be mentioned, never spoken of. If you don't talk about it, it doesn't exist, no, no doesn't exist.) Streamstar would send him away again. Rosethorn would win in the end. The good guys always won. Streamstar would believe her daughter without an ounce of doubt, yes she would. _

_"I think you misunderstood him. That's why you overreacted the way you did." _

_Like a claw digging into the flesh of an unsuspecting kit, like an adder's venom shifting its way through her veins... _

_...Impossible... _

_The scarlet-furred she-cat froze. Her heartbeat stopped. She felt the venom rush through her body, tingle everything from her nose to her tail-tip, slithering through her veins... A chilled terror, like the touch of a shadow...You can't see it, but you know it is there, and you can feel the ice-cold press up against your body... It all came bubbling up from Rosethorn's dry throat, one wrenching screech: _"He's lying!"

_The ThunderClan leader didn't seem to hear her. Her blue eyes – so much like Rosethorn's, exact shade, exact means of projecting emotions – clouded. Dark storm clouds foreshadowing danger, hiding the warriors of StarClan, hiding them so they can't come to the rescue... (If StarClan wanted to rescue a used she-cat. She had been used. Maybe StarClan felt it was time to discard her?) "Rosethorn, calm down. It's really just a misunderstanding." _

_No sooner were the words out of Streamstar's mouth than did Rosethorn hear the voices prancing around her head. Yowling, hissing, screeching, purring, mewing... Furious, happy, sad, terrified...Begging...pleading... hunting... Terrible, relentless, slapping her again and again... "A misunderstanding?! Look at me, Mother!" _

_"The problem with ShadowClan will be over soon," Streamstar's voice was mechanical, as if her treachery against her daughter could be buried and forgotten. "In fact, all of ThunderClan's problems will be over soon..." _

_The ThunderClan's blue eyes suddenly were void of any warmth. "Can't we let go of the past and look to the future?" she continued. Cold, cold eyes blowing icy snow into the kit's eyes, stinging them. _

_Rosethorn replied. She didn't know what she said. Something like a kit pleading for its mother's milk, its mother's love, for its life... Something about believing Flamesoul over her own daughter. Some plea for a scrap of love, some sign that Streamstar still cared, that StarClan still cared... That _somebody_ still cared! _

"I'm willing to believe him."

_Louder and louder the voices howled. Nothing else could be comprehended, nothing else could be heard...nothing but the merciless screaming, tormenting the fragile ears._

_It was wrong! It_ is_ wrong! This didn't make sense! This was her mother! Her mother who had nursed her, who loved her! The herbs didn't make the right mixture. Everything was hot, everything was cold, the voices were yowling, whispering the stars were spinning, the earth was shaking, shaking so much that it was completely still – what was going on? This didn't make sense. StarClan would never let this happen. It had to be against the Warrior Code!_

_But the Warrior Code condoned it. Flamesoul was necessary for the survival of the Clan, therefore he would stay in the Clan. And because the Warrior Code accepted him, he could break it all he wanted. He claimed to love the Warrior Code, and he would rip it, tear into it, and make it bleed...make it bleed...make it scream..._

_Suddenly she was gone. Streamstar was gone. Her long, streaming cloudy white fur constricted into a short, fire-colored pelt. The sapphire eyes, void of any unconditional love for her daughter morphed into beady little emeralds, emeralds gleaming with a powerful desire...A burning desire...A sinful desire. _

_Flamesoul. _

_Her muscles froze, her blood froze, but her nose burned as the warm scent of Streamstar wafted into her nose._

_Rosethorn prayed that her mother would protect her. That her loving mother had come to her senses, and wasn't going to allow the horrid thing to happen to her daughter again, the nightmare to happen again, everything to happen again... She was her mother, for StarClan's sake! Streamstar would keep her safe; protect her from that...monster... Because her mother would never... _

_"You may have her, Flamesoul."_

_Rosethorn's rational mind was torn, ripped to pieces by the single demon of terror. It was going to happen again. It was going to happen again! Her mentor was going to rape her, and her mother was handing her to him! It didn't make sense! It wasn't right! It wasn't _fair! _Her throat constricted and she couldn't breathe, her vision darkened and blurred until all she could see were those emerald eyes... Her body was like ice, but her blood was boiling. _

_She had to have been yowling. She hadn't heard herself, but that was probably just because of all the voices that were still screeching in her ear... But she had to have been making noise, because a voice...rugged and cold like Flamesoul's, but filled with leadership and honor like Streamstar's let out a harsh growl: "Shut up." _

_So unfair, so surreal – but fair and true at the same time...because Flamesoul...he was right there! The tom that penetrated her, that tore the life and hope out of the innocent apprentice was right there! His emerald eyes, burning into her own..._

_"Rosethorn, calm down. We're both impure medicine cats. We'll see each other in the Place of No Stars, and we'll be there together forever." _

_No! No! Flamesoul is wrong! He had to be wrong! She wasn't like Flamesoul! This isn't what she had wanted! No! No! No, no no no NO!!!! Mother, you can't let him do this to me, you're wrong, the Warrior Code's wrong, StarClan's wrong, everyone's wrong because this isn't right, please.. She didn't want Flamesoul to... _

_Suddenly it didn't matter. It didn't matter who was wrong, who was right, if StarClan was watching or turning a blind eye, because it was happening! All that mattered was the two ginger cats, alone in the dark... One being, entwined bodies, entwined destinies... Claiming her soul and..._

_She didn't want this! _

"Hey, Rosethorn...are you okay?"

_Flamesoul, a disease even the most talented medicine cat couldn't cure...staring at her, his tomhood hardening, pulsing within her, spreading its germs throughout her entire body, ready to infect her with more nightmares, more fears, a fate she couldn't escape – _

"Rosethorn, you seemed kind of mad back at camp, and I was just wondering what I – hey, are you asleep?"

_-an inescapable ghost of destruction, torturing her in life and destining her to an eternity in darkness beside him, where StarClan never walk, let alone defend – _

"Hey, Rosethorn!"

_- and it wasn't fair because it was wrong! It was wrong! Wrong! And Rosethorn...she didn't want this! _

"Rosethorn!"

She felt something nudge her, and instantly her eyes bolted open. It was dark, and briefly Rosethorn thought that she had died, and had gone, as Dream-Flamesoul had stated, to the Place of No Stars for eternity, with her "mentor" for eternity, forever, for a never-ending amount of time... Again...and Again...and Again...

Her heart was still pounding in her chest, not yet aware that it had all just been a dream. A nightmare. Nothing more. And nothing less.

But the rest of Rosethorn's body quickly felt the relief that it had not been real. Her blood started to flow neatly through her body, not boiling, not chilled over. Her fur laid flat on her back, and her eyes slowly adjusted to the night. For that's all it was. It was just nighttime. And Silverpelt, whether or not they were of any use or offered any protection, they offered their light as they glimmered silently in the sky. (Light so that one could see the enflamed emerald eyes, burning with passion, silently so that the whispers of love and feelings of hate could be heard clearly.)

Rosethorn gazed around, completely confused of her surroundings. She was lying on her side, on a bed of reeds, and the river was flowing neatly not too far from her. Her fur was wet and clinging to her, and Rosethorn inferenced that she must have fallen asleep while attempting to fish...

Why had she been trying to fish alone? That was a silly thing to do; she wasn't a RiverClan-born cat and hadn't ever fished before...

Then she remembered.

Then she saw him.

Then her joy at being relieved of terror transformed itself into rage...

The brawny tomcat was standing beside her, a single paw on her revealed flank, looking at her through concerned blue eyes. Unlike a certain pair of blue eyes that Rosethorn was all too familiar with.

She vaguely recalled Applefur ignoring Blackshadow when the ebony-furred tomcat had started to get a little too close to the warrior Icepelt. Applefur always seemed like she knew how to handle tomcats...

Rosethorn pointedly turned her head away from Thorntail, and started to give her chest a few licks. She had been a medicine cat for most of her life and therefore hadn't truly discussed how to punish a tom when she was mad at him, but she had heard snippets of conversations. They didn't like being ignored. Thorntail especially.

Thorntail was silent for a few heartbeats, waiting for Rosethorn to acknowledge him. When she didn't, he asked tentatively, "Hey, are you mad?"

_Yes, I'm mad! _Rosethorn thought bitterly. _You took practically every she-cat in the forest and their long-lost kittypet sister as your mate! And you're _still _having Shadenight pad after you! _

"No, I'm not mad," she lied.

"Oh..." She felt a tongue rasp against her ear, and she assumed that it was Thorntail's. "Really? Because you certainly didn't sound not mad back at camp..." Thorntail nudged her affectionately. "Let's pretend you_ were_ mad for a moment. If you were mad right now, what would you be mad about?"

"Go ask Shadenight," the words flew out of Rosethorn's mouth before she even thought them through.

The grey tomcat looked thoroughly confused. Clouds formed over the blue sky of his eyes, and his head cocked to one side, as if wracking his brain for anything he had done since they had last spoken.

He did look so adorable when he was befuddled. Rosethorn just wanted to reach out and dab at him with her paw, and mew affectionately in his ear...but some reborn feminine feline in her told her to stand her ground.

How could Thorntail _not _know that she was mad? How could he _possibly _be confused? Great StarClan, how could she_ not_ be mad? Thorntail mated with nearly every female in all of RiverClan!

She slowly turned her head back towards him. Thorntail's head was still to the one side, and his whiskers were twitching as he pondered. "_Shadenight_ knows why you're mad?"

"Yes," she answered simply.

"Then what did I do? Seriously, if she told you about the ShadowClan scent on my fur I wasn't stealing prey this time! Tigerflame and Cinnamonfur can vouch for me! ShadowClan recently grabbed some of ThunderClan territory, and a few of their apprentices were careless about the border. We sent them away, but it was a simple misunderstanding, I swear! And I didn't mean to claw Rubypaw so deeply, but she didn't seem to understand that just because ThunderClan gives you their territory if you look at them funny doesn't mean that RiverClan-"

"It's not about that," Rosethorn sighed, trying to suppress her surprise. She hadn't known ShadowClan had taken any ThunderClan territory – and she had just been a ThunderClan cat the night before. She vaguely recalled Streamstar mentioning that the problem with ShadowClan would be over soon...had her mother ended the issue by simply surrendering the territory? That was a sure sign of weakness and it was hardly a wise decision –

Wait, why was Rosethorn thinking so much about this? It didn't affect her life at all if ShadowClan started to get greedy for _ThunderClan_ territory. More power to them. Maybe one of their patrols would _accidentally _murder a certain medicine cat. ShadowClan's medicine cat apprentice, Rockyheart, had had training as a warrior. What a justified death for Flamesoul if Rockyheart were to snap...

"Oh," Thorntail meowed in reply to her earlier statement. "I had thought you got mad because I hurt the apprentice too much, because that bugged you before. But I don't think I even scarred her, and Shadedhope's a good medicine cat, Rubypaw will be stealing prey_ again_ tomorrow, I'm sure."

"I _said_ I'm not mad about that."

"Then what are you mad about?" When Thorntail was greeted by silence, he – as expected – exploded. "Rosethorn, I can't read your mind! What are you mad about?!"

"_Serpentpelt_!" Rosethorn snapped, without thinking. Rosethorn usually carefully planned her speech before she shot it out, but she was pushing words across to him now. "And Fogpelt! And Quickfoot, and Icefire too! And all those WindClan cats you had on your little excursion during_ that_ Gathering" - from Thorntail's surprised expression he obviously had thought that she had never figured out what he had done in the WindClan camp. Suddenly she found herself spitting the name out of every single she-cat she knew that Thorntail had ever been with, "And Gingerleaf, Icepelt and Applefur! And that Tawnyleafsure hangs around with you a lot doesn't she? And, to top it all off, you _still _have Shadenight wrapped around your paw!"

It had practically been a throwaway accusation, but from the sudden flash of resentment that blazed in his eyes she knew she had hit home. But he had a well-measured response: "What's your point?"

Now she was confused and crazily furious by his careless answer. "Thorntail, didn't you hear what I said to you back at camp?"

"No, you came in, screeched something about _fishing_, and ran off!" Now Thorntail was the one annoyed, his long claws unsheathed and sinking into the earth beneath his paws.

"Then I'll repeat my question!" Rosethorn retorted, angry because he had forced her to behave in an uncivil fashion. "How about this: In all of the known lands in _and_ around the forest is there a single she-cat that you didn't mate with!?"

Thorntail didn't answer right away, but his silence was as insulting as the tone she had used on him. He was angry too, bitingly so; she could sense it seething off of every hair on his pelt. His anger was controlled but more dangerous than usual. "...You're mad at me because I mated with other she-cats?"

"Oh, Thorntail, you took it to the_ extreme_! Do_ you_ even have any idea how many she-cats you mated with?" she blazed right up at him.

Thorntail didn't answer her question. He flattened his ears against his head and arched his back, glaring at her furiously. "You're mad at me because I mated with other she-cats?!" he repeated.

"Yes, why couldn't you - "

Thorntail cut her off with a flick of his tail. "You're mad at me because of things I did before I _even knew you existed_!?"

That one stung. Rosethorn flinched away, her neck fur bristling. It made her angrier, mostly because he was right. Thorntail obviously couldn't go back in time and stop himself from having all those fun nights, but... She turned on him with a sudden flash of defensive spirit. "You knew me when you went to the WindClan camp that one Gathering. How many she-cats did you take _then?"_

The RiverClan tomcat was silent for a moment, and for a heartbeat Rosethorn swore that she saw some embarrassment flash in his eyes. Embarrassment from rolling around with the whole of the Clan, maybe?

His voice elevated in tenor and ferocity. "I'll have you know that I didn't 'take' _any _she-cat from WindClan that night," In a lower voice he muttered, "Go ask Timidstar, she'll vouch for bearing witness to the most humiliating moment of my life..."

The she-cat narrowed her eyes curiously. Something about Thorntail's tone told her that he wasn't lying to her. She didn't press that particular subject further, but instead quickly thought up some new ammunition. She hadn't ever been one to enjoy the thrill of arguing, but she still felt annoyed with the gray tom. And until she was able to get her nerves in order, she couldn't stop getting explanations out of him. "What about Tawnyleaf?"

"You saw how protective Duststar is about her. She's my friend, and if she became anything more than that, Duststar would have me executed for high treason."

Rosethorn hardly heard him, closing her ears even though so far everything he said fit into what she had seen and heard in the camp. "And Shadenight!?" she finally hissed. Her voice was slow at first, but then accelerating as an outlet for her frustrations. "Shadenight told me, you know. About your night together! How you took her to the cavern beneath Great Rock – where you took me – and you told her how no matter what happened in your futures you would always love _her_!"

Thorntail flinched away from her as if she had struck him. And then he looked at her in such a way that she had to recall the last few moments of her life to make sure that she hadn't. Both the angry cats were momentarily silent, their anger rebounding off one another. Finally, Thorntail let out a soft mew, his voice scarcely over a whisper, "You honestly think that I love Shadenight? After...everything you and I have been through? After everything she and I have been through?"

Rosethorn hesitated a moment on this one. "...You two have a past together," was all she would admit.

"And you and I have a _future,_" Thorntail's answer was quick and low, but firm. He let out a sigh, and he spoke in an attempt of calm strength, "Rosethorn, we've spoken about this before. I can't...I can't even look at her without thinking about Graywhisker. In my mind, she was my accomplice to his murder. I don't love her."

Rosethorn knew that she was stumbling into dangerous territory, and digging up old issues that had long since been silenced – but issues that had been lingering unvoiced in her mind – _their_ minds - for far too long. "And if Graywhisker never died?" She went on, her voice strong and sure. "If Graywhisker hadn't ever died, if Graywhisker had padded after a different cat like Serpentpelt," she recalled the other cat hinting that she had had a crush on the deceased tom "or had ended up actually becoming a medicine cat... You would still be with_ her_! And she knows that as well as I do. Your first choice was Shadenight, and if she didn't _scare_ you Melodykit would _be your daughter, not Owlpelt's_. Thorntail...sometimes I feel...I feel that I'll always be - "

Thorntail spoke before Rosethorn had a chance to conclude. "I don't love her now, and I didn't love her then!"

"second be- _WHAT_?! Didn't love her?!" Rosethorn stared at him in unhidden horror. Why was he lying to her? She knew he had to have loved her because "She was Graywhisker's mate, Thorntail. You loved him, and yet you didn't care that she was his! You loved her so much that you stole her!"

"_To hurt him!"_ Thorntail snapped. The full of his anger, and past-madness came out as he went on, his voice rising and falling hysterically in pitch. "_To hurt Graywhisker! I _wante_d to see Graywhisker suffer – is that hard to understand?!_" He stopped, his large, masculine eyes flashing with unconcealed fury as he fought to keep his voice less hysterical. In the end, it ended up practically monotone as he hissed, "Rosethorn, I liked Shadenight. I liked her. She was pretty, and she was a challenge because I had to compete with every single tom in the Clan for her." Thorntail glared at her, and Rosethorn knew that he had never looked at her with such burning anger ever before. "I'll neverdeny that I _liked _her, but I _didn't love_ her!" He paused for a moment, as if in thought. His voice lowered, and it dripped with ice as he hissed, "Just like I loved Graywhisker, yet I didn't like him. I wanted to hurt him – I told you before. I wanted him to die!"

Their fiery argument had into a chilled blizzard. Rosethorn flushed beneath her fur. She had known about Thorntail's complicated feelings for his brother, but somehow she had been so wrapped up in her own jealousy that she had turned a blind eye to them. She opened her mouth to correct him, but he obviously wasn't going to have any of that because he swept on.

He let out a childish giggle, and he stopped trying to keep the insanity out of his tone. "So I took everything he had. I took his belief in our heritage, his love for Smokestar and Mother, and, finally, I stole his mate! And ultimately he _did_ take his own life, so my brilliant plan worked! And see how much happier I became once he was gone?" The deliberate irony of the statement was tangible in the atmosphere, but he went on. "Shadenight was nothing but a claw I used to sink into my brother's throat. She was nothing more, and _nothing less_."

Chills crawled up and down Rosethorn's spine like tiny little legs beating against her back. Oddly, however, these didn't frighten her. Instead, they simply opened her eyes to the selfish, moronic behavior she had just exhibited by digging at Thorntail's past with Shadenight. She had known all of this. Why had she snapped at him like that?

She diverted her gaze to her paws, and bowed her head in submission. "S-sorry," she mumbled. She wanted to assure him like before how Graywhisker's death wasn't his fault, how Graywhisker had relied on him too much, how Thorntail wasn't responsible for everything his littermate did... But something told her that Thorntail might not appreciate it right now as his rage probably hadn't subsided as hers had.

She peeked up, and saw that Thorntail was looking at her through narrowed eyes. His ears twitched when he noticed that she was looking at him, and he cockily thrust his head about. "Well," he growled heftily, deliberately turning his back on her, "now it's _your_ turn to make something up to _me_."

She just stared blankly at him, unsure how to take his response. But she relaxed when he let out a soft chuckle to show that he too had calmed down after going on his tangent and was merely mocking anger before he regained his annoyed composure. "You're going to come with me."

She was grateful to him for using humor to lighten the mood. "Come with you? Where?"

Thorntail didn't answer directly. "I want to show you something."

"What?"

Thorntail turned away from her, and took two steps away from her before mewing over his shoulder, "Stars that walk on the earth."

Rosethorn looked at him in disbelief. "What?" He didn't answer her, and instead padded further away from her. She rushed forward to catch up with him. "Where is it?" Knowing Thorntail, the place could be in any of the four Clan's territories and he wouldn't find anything wrong about taking his mate there. Clan boundaries meant nothing to him.

"It's in RiverClan territory," he answered vaguely. Quieter he added, "Sort of..."

_Thorn...Rose_

As the two cats started to go to the known-to-Thorntail-but-unknown-to-Rosethorn destination, the former ThunderClan cat started to find herself oddly relieved that she had confronted Thorntail about Shadenight. She supposed the jealousy from their last encounter had never been fully cleared up, just buried. But it had bubbled up inside her, and burst out...

But the other side of her told her that she never should have brought it up. After everything that had happened the night before between her and Thorntail...she should've known that his love for her was one of a kind. But she also supposed that she had felt some resentment towards the tomcat about all his previous mates for awhile now, and it was admittedly nice to have everything cleared up.

But what bugged her still was the fact that Thorntail had once again referenced himself as Graywhisker's murderer. That wasn't true; everyone knew it and acknowledged it except for _Thorntail. _

"Hey, Rosethorn," Thorntail's voice knocked her from her thoughts. He had been walking about a tail-length ahead of her, but he fell back to walk beside her, his gray fur shining silver in the moonlight. "Were you having a nightmare before?"

"Hmm?"

"When I woke you up, before we went at each other's throats," Thorntail elaborated breezily. "You were tossing and turning, and going on and on about how it wasn't fair or right..."

Rosethorn had pushed the dream out of her mind, but slowly the details were coming back. She shivered. "Yeah...a nightmare."

"About Flamesoul?"

Rosethorn hesitated here. "Kind of," she admitted. "It wasn't so much Flamesoul as it was..."

"Was what?" When she didn't answer Thorntail meowed gently, "You know you can tell me anything."

Rosethorn pounced on the prey instantly. "Yes, we can," she agreed. "You can tell me anything too. Anything about Graywhisker..." she eyed him carefully. For him to have taken her accusations about his mating with a bunch of she-cats and turn it into imagining himself as his brother's murderer, he had to have been keeping everything concerning the gray cat bottled up inside him. "We're mates now, you know."

"I noticed. I had to be there for the initiation..."

"No, I mean mates act as one," she sighed. She looked meaningfully at him. "If it's my problem, or your problem, it's both of our problems. We don't deal with anything alone anymore."

Thorntail stopped in his tracks and looked thoughtfully at her, his eyes raking over her. For a moment, he looked skeptical...before his eyes lit up as if he had just been inspired by something. "You're right," he admitted softly.

Rosethorn purred at that. "I know," her voice was cheerful, but her mind was scattered and confused. Where was Thorntail taking her? The foul stench of Twolegs was bouncing in her nostrils, and she noticed that there were less and less trees... And they were obviously going uphill from the way gravity was fighting against her. "Hey, Thorntail, where are we going again?"

"I already told you. I'm going to show you Stars Walking on the Earth." His ears perked and he suddenly stopped. "We're almost here..."

Rosethorn looked around more carefully. It was completely black around her, but she was able to see a large, leafy fern in front of her...Wait..._was _it completely black? The fern was silhouetted with a halo of light... "Thorntail, what's going on?"

The gray tom pivoted in front of her, and flexed dramatically. "Past this fern-bush-leafy thing is something that _almost_ rivals your beauty. But not quite," he added.

Rosethorn felt her skin turn as red as her pelt. "Thorntail now isn't the time for ridiculous flattery. I know I'm not that pre -"

Thorntail accurately predicted her upcoming words. "If you aren't that pretty how come you were able to string along four toms without even trying to? Pieces of fox-dung like Silverleaf and the mentor from the land of nightmares...and Blackshadow...and me, too. You know, I got jealous too...A lot," he added.

"You were jealous of Flamesoul?" Rosethorn scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

"Almost as ridiculous as your jealousy over Shadenight," he retorted, a gleam of amusement in his eyes. "_However_," he drawled. "You'll have no reason to feel any resentment towards her at this particular location, because I never took her here. _In fact, _you will be the first she-cat I've ever shown this too. And the last," he added unnecessarily. "Now you follow me. And don't go any further onto the other side than I do, because there's a steep cliff here and you'll fall to your death if you stumble."

"Sounds safe..."

"I know it does!" Before Rosethorn could reply, Thorntail was swallowed by the leaves of the fern, and disappeared. She hesitated before she followed him, not expecting what she would find on the other side.

Since her head had been down as she stepped through the fern, the first thing she noticed was the sheer honesty of Thorntail's words: a mere tail-length further and she would have stumbled to her death. The grassy hill they had climbed was steep here, with a drop straight down an immeasurable distance. Her heart raced at the thought of falling, but it raced even faster when she noticed what was making Thorntail's eyes gleam.

She had a birds' eye view of Twoleg nests, hundreds, thousands, maybe a million and a billion for all Rosethorn could count. Normally, Rosethorn would have been slightly worried that she was so close to Twolegplace, albeit at a high distance above...but she felt none of that, for Thorntail hadn't been lying about what he said about the Stars either.

For as far as her eye could see were lights. She would have thought they were fireflies if they hadn't been standing so still. They radiated heat; she could feel it from her position, and she felt warm both physically and inwardly. For, yes, if it weren't for the Twoleg Nests, she would have sworn that she was staring _down _at StarClan.

At the horizon, it was hard to decipher where the Twoleg Lights began and Silverpelt began, blood stain streaking across the sky alerted Rosethorn to the horizon again. The sun was rising, beginning to bleed across the sky. Suddenly every light that she could see was pulsing with blood, everything was red, everything except the setting blue moon...

"Didn't someone say once that right before a fire burns out, it's at its brightest?" Thorntail asked quietly, nodding towards the enflamed landscape. He pressed his flank against her side, and entwined his tail with hers. She listened carefully as he continued, "That feeling of being close to the end is pretty good, isn't it?"

She purred in agreement. The scarlet furred female's heart was beating furiously in her chest now, similar to how it had in her dream, but this time there wasn't any fear. Instead, she felt safe, almost invincible with him wrapped around her. When she was with Thorntail, it was the only time she ever felt that way. No...No, that wasn't true. Though the emotions that were flooding her body were different, she admitted to herself that when she had been a kit she had always felt safe with her father, Crimsonspirit.

Which reminded her...

"My father used to say that when he was growing up, before the Twolegs came, there had been even more beautiful plants around the territories, and different kinds of prey...He said that the water had been purer, and so was everyone's hearts...So he felt really bad for the cats of this era," Rosethorn chuckled at the memory.

Thorntail grunted in agreement, his eyes examining her carefully as he listened.

She continued, "But...you know, I think the present is beautiful too. Time will keep on passing. We'll grow old, we'll become elders, and we'll look back on the past." She looked meaningfully at her mate, every grey hair, every muscle, every twitch of his body. "When that time comes, I hope we can always say how great things were..."

Thorntail was looking at her, a soft, gentle look in his eyes. She felt his tail tighten around hers, and as he placed his muzzle on her shoulder he murmured, "Rosethorn, let's have kits."

_Black...Apple_

Blackshadow did not like these circumstances. Blackshadow did not like the little scheme that Streamstar had concocted to keep ShadowClan happy without losing face, he did not like how there were ShadowClan patrols running around in what he had considered ThunderClan's since he had been kitted, hand e did not like the fact that the ShadowClan deputy was snarling in his face in the middle of the night.

"_Shadow,_" the deputy, Ravenfeather, hissed, her amber eyes gleaming as she condescendingly used the nickname she had given him as an insult, "Kindly remove yourself and your patrol from ShadowClan's territory!"

Behind her, a dark ginger tabby female that Blackshadow recognized as Rufflepelt and an ivory-furred apprentice he didn't recognize, unsheathed their claws as if to escalate Ravenfeather's implied threats. But behind himself, however, Blackshadow heard his former apprentice, Morninglight, let out a ferocious snarl. And though he couldn't see the apprentice Gingerpaw or hear her at the moment, her fury lingered in her scent. If the ShadowClan patrol lunged forward to attack, Blackshadow was confident that his own Clanmates would meet them.

He stood his ground. He knew that ThunderClan had surrendered some of its lands to ShadowClan without losing any honor. Streamstar had sent a group of apprentices and young-and-or-small warriors in the dark to attack one of ShadowClan's night-patrols in its own territory. After the battle, Streamstar, sent over a messenger giving the leader's sincere apologies for the ruthless ambush made by ThunderClan's rebellious youths – which she lied as she emphasized that she certainly had not planned it. And to "smooth over any bad feelings" she gave them scraps of "useless" ThunderClan territory that ShadowClan had been pining after for the last few moons. But though Blackshadow admitted that the territory beside Thunderpath was prey-poor it had been filled with herbs that could've been used for medicines. But it was better to simply give it to ShadowClan as a present than to lose it in a war, which would be inevitable. It made ThunderClan look still strong, yet at the same time peaceful and apologetic.

Blackshadow wasn't going to argue with Streamstar's less-than-conventional methods on her way out of impossible battles. But he _was _going to argue with Ravenfeather. The scrap of territory they were on was still ThunderClan's, of this he was sure. "Remove yourself from ThunderClan territory!" he retorted. Morninglight and Gingerpaw both growled threateningly, and but none of the ShadowClan cats flinched.

"_You_ remove yourself," Ravenfeather emphasized.

"_You!_ This is _ThunderClan_ territory!" Blackshadow hissed.

"You go! This is ShadowClan territory!"

"Leave! ThunderClan!"

"I'd say ShadowClan, but it doesn't appear to be getting us anywhere." Ravenfeather pouted for a moment, as her two companions arched their backs menacingly, waiting for the order to attack the ThunderClan 'trespassers'. But Ravenfeather tried once more to be diplomatic. "Shadow, Streamstar gave ShadowClan this patch of land as -"

"It's _Black_shadow, and no, she gave you the land alongside the Thunderpath!"

Ravenfeather bristled, and Blackshadow tensed, expecting her to lunge forward. However, one of the most curious things about the deputy was that she was a rarity of ShadowClan – she seemed to prefer to avoid battles if it was possible to do so. Not because she wasn't a skilled fighter – a few scars on his body from previous battles constantly reminded him that she didn't avoid battles out of weakness – but simply because she had some levelheaded traits that other ShadowClan cats didn't seem to have.

But, obviously, Ravenfeather was feeling that it might not be possible to avoid a battle. She meowed, "Shadow, in a moment we will just have to chase you out of our territory. Why don't you just accept that this is ours and go on with life with all of your limbs intact?" Ravenfeather didn't give him time to answer, and swept on, "Streamstar gave us all of the land in ThunderClan territory where the stench of the Thunderpath could be smelled." Ravenfeather narrowed her eyes. "Sniff the air, Shadow."

Blackshadow didn't bother doing so. He knew that the acrid, horrible scent of the Thunderpath was in the air. "No, Streamstar told me that the ShadowClan scent markers-"

"Were washed away by the recent storm," the ebony-furred deputy finished for him. "Since they're new, and haven't been being laid for generations, the scent won't linger as long. So we're-" she nodded her head back towards Rufflepelt and the apprentice "-here to put down new ones."

"And we would've been done already if you hadn't bothered us!" The ShadowClan apprentice fumed, her fur bristling. "Ravenfeather, Onyxpelt said that I could have the finest vole in the pile if I got back before sunrise but..." The small she-cat raised her gaze to the sky, and despite himself, Blackshadow did too. Rays of the sun were spreading across the heavens, and Silverpelt was already disappearing.

Blackshadow stared blankly at Ravenfeather for a moment, embarrassment flooding his body as he realized with numb astonishment that what the ShadowClan she-cat was saying made sense. But he weighed in his mind whether or not she was lying. ShadowClan weren't exactly known for their honesty.

"Yeah, Ravenfeather's telling the truth," Morninglight's sing-song voice rang in his ear, as if she had read his thoughts. "Streamstar told me about that when I was on patrol with her earlier."

Blackshadow didn't want to turn his back on the ShadowClan patrol, so instead he snapped his head and glared at the young tortoiseshell. "You knew we were entering into enemy territory and you didn't tell me?!"

Gingerpaw shuffled her paws in embarrassment, her leaf-green eyes downcast onto the forest floor. "I-I knew that too, but Shrewtail tells me to never argue with a warrior..."

Morninglight grunted in agreement. "And you're the _senior_ warrior here, I thought maybe we were going gung-ho and were going to take the territory back...I wasn't going to argue! Though, I admit I found it strange that there were only three of us..." Indignantly she added, "There was a miscommunication here, not my fault!"

Satisfaction was blanketed on the faces of the ShadowClan cats. "You see?" Ravenfeather asked, in reference to the point she had just made. "This _is_ ShadowClan territory. And not only have you trespassed, you probably made Pearlpaw miss out on a nice vole."

"And that's unforgivable!" The apprentice, presumably Pearlpaw, hissed.

"So, should we just drive them off like we _should have_ when we first saw them?" Rufflepelt asked Ravenfeather, her orange eyes lighting up like blaring suns as she raked her gaze across the ThunderClan trespassers.

Ravenfeather looked thoughtful. "Unless they don't leave on their own..."

It took a chunk out of his pride, but Blackshadow had to admit, for once ShadowClan was right. "We will," Blackshadow mumbled, slowly turning his back on the enemy patrol.

"Unless of course you'd like to give us the territory back," Morninglight asked suddenly.

"No, I think we'll keep it," Ravenfeather sighed.

"Are you sure?"

Obviously, Morninglight's air-headed tactics weren't considered funny to the intelligent deputy. "...Pretty sure – _look,_ just get out of here!"

"Well, it was worth a shot," Morninglight shrugged.

Blackshadow pushed forward, intent on leaving the ShadowClan cats and their territory far behind him, whether or not Morninglight was going to come with him. As he ran, he heard Gingerpaw's delicate pawsteps. Not much later, he heard Morninglight bringing up the rear, obviously bored of harassing the ShadowClan cats.

"Why'd you back down like that?" Morninglight called to him, once the ThunderClan patrol was safely nestled back in its own territory. "We were evenly matched; we could've taken that patrol down with no problems! I was dying to dig my claws into Rufflepelt's ruffled pelt! And I'm sure Gingerpaw wanted to just rip Pearlpaw's pearly paws off!"

Gingerpaw looked confused. "No...Not if I didn't have to..."

"Gingerpaw, you're never going to make it as a bloodthirsty killer with that attitude!"

"How about I just defend myself and my Clan...isn't that what warriors are supposed to do?"

Before Blackshadow answered Morninglight's ridiculous question, he had to toss a curious glance Gingerpaw's way. Sometimes he was just in awe and shock that the timid, peaceful apprentice could share kinship with the murderous Silverleaf.

Back to the matters at hand, Blackshadow reprimanded his former apprentice. "ShadowClan wasn't doing anything wrong. We were trespassing. Therefore -"

"Well, maybe we should've asked about Rosethorn!" Morninglight pressed. "She's been missing since last night! The patrols scented her around Snakerocks, and -"

"RiverClan territory," Blackshadow finished for her. "ShadowClan would have no knowledge of Rosethorn even disappearing."

Rosethorn was the reason Blackshadow was leading a patrol around so late at night. He was exhausted, and he felt like his paws were going to fall off, but he just couldn't stop looking. He had led countless patrols all across the territory already, but it was so blaringly obvious that Rosethorn had gone to RiverClan of her own free will, after seriously injuring Flamesoul that Blackshadow just wanted to doubt it.

But as obvious as it was, there was obviously some sort of conspiracy lingering in the air. Blackshadow could scent it as easily as he would've scented the ShadowClan scent markers if they had been there.

For one thing, Streamstar never mentioned to the Clan why her daughter had viciously attacked her own mentor. Instead she had let ThunderClan come up with their own opinions and fantastic stories, the majority making Rosethorn out to be nothing but a murderer and traitor. It was easier to condemn her – she wasn't with them, while Flamesoul was. They couldn't see her, but they could see Flamesoul and how injured he had looked, so they concluded the worst.

Another curiosity was that Blackshadow was the only cat organizing patrols to look for her. Sandpelt came up with numerous excuses to avoid it – obviously prompted to do so by Streamstar. And the Clan leader had only sent out one for a quick sweep of the grounds, almost out of obligation than of concern.

And while Blackshadow had been trying to track Thorntail's mate, he had been led to Snakerocks where both Streamstar and Rosethorn's scents overlapped. Blackshadow guessed that they had spoken briefly, but Streamstar hadn't ever mentioned anything about even having a conversation with her.

With Rosethorn's scent trail ultimately leading into RiverClan territory, most of the Clan seemed to slowly be accepting the possibility that Rosethorn had turned traitor, tried to murder Flamesoul to weaken ThunderClan, and then fled into RiverClan. But Blackshadow knew that there had to be more to the story, especially with Flamesoul and Rosethorn's past, but there was no way he could get any facts until the Gathering.

"You don't know that for sure," Morninglight argued in reference to Blackshadow's previous statement. "Rosethorn may have fled into RiverClan territory and _then_ ran into ShadowClan from there to throw us off. ShadowClan's been at war with us, it would make sense for them to want to kill Flamesoul, while RiverClan has shown us no hostility."

Blackshadow wanted to defend Rosethorn, but for the moment he couldn't do anything until he knew the truth... But he could say, "Now Morninglight, we don't know anything for sure yet, so -" he broke off when the scent of WindClan flooded the air.

Morninglight and Gingerpaw scented it too, and the two ThunderClan she-cats tensed, and grew silent instantly. Blackshadow's eyes flashed around to check on his surroundings. There were trees surrounding them, with the floor of the forest dotted with ferns and shrubs... There were numerous places for a WindClan cat to hide, the perfect place for an ambush...

He quickly used his nose to try and figure out how many WindClan cats were in the vicinity. WindClan was so small that Blackshadow knew practically every cat's scent and name, so... He scented two. Skyclaw...and Rabbitfur? Rabbitfur or Moortail...

"Come out," Blackshadow hissed, "We know you're here."

He was surprised that the WindClan cats were so obedient. Side-by-side, the pale, gray-speckled WindClan she-cat, Skyclaw, and Moortail slinked out between a fern that had been straight ahead of the patrol.

Skyclaw dipped her head towards the ThunderClan patrol, her whiskers trembling. "Greetings, I'm Skyclaw," she introduced herself, though Blackshadow was well aware of whom she was – they had met once before. She had shown him where to make dirt in the WindClan camp.

"That's delightful information," Morninglight spat, standing at Blackshadow's flank. "Now leave!"

"Yes, this is ThunderClan territory," Blackshadow agreed firmly. It seemed like his patrol was running into every Clan in the forest on their little outing. He unsheathed his claws, and he was ensured of their sharpness by how neatly they tore into the ground.

"And you're _positive_ this time?"

Blackshadow wanted to turn around and snap at Morninglight or Gingerpaw or whoever had just said that in reference to his spat with Ravenfeather's just moments earlier, but then he realized that while the voice was at a higher pitch and was less rough, it definitely did not belong to a she-cat. Skyclaw and Moortail were female, and he was _pretty_ sure that Gingerpaw and Morninglight weren't toms so...

He sniffed the air again, trying to find the owner of the voice. But all he could pick up was his own scent, along with Skyclaw, Moortail, Gingerpaw, and Morninglight. But that didn't make sense, because he knew he had just heard...

"Big brother!" Gingerpaw's mewl of shocked surprise made Blackshadow's blood run cold.

Blackshadow slowly strained his neck to look behind him. And, sure enough, just a fox-length behind his patrol was a tom, who had the ThunderClan patrol trapped between himself and the two she-cats. A tom with soft, velvety silver fur, and slim shoulders, with pale, leaf-green eyes that were not burdened with revealing any emotion, but did however carry long, ebony eyelashes. The cat was thinner than before, probably from the fact that he spent all day chasing rabbits and all night giving she-cats his kits, but Blackshadow recognized him instantly.

The feminine-looking tomcat took a single step forward, out of the shadow of a nearby tree. Instantly his pale fur carried the red rays of the sun, and for a single moment, the WindClan tomcat looked like he was covered in blood.

"Silverleaf!" Morninglight gasped, her voice carrying more excitement and joyous surprise then rage at seeing the exiled warrior. Blackshadow recalled that Morninglight had had a small crush on Silverleaf when they had been apprentices and for a moment he was worried that it had carried into her warrior days, but then her ears flattened against her head and she hissed threateningly. "What are you doing here?" She wrapped her tail protectively around Gingerpaw, as if she had suspicions that he had come back for his younger sister.

As much as he wanted to keep an eye on Silverleaf, Blackshadow knew better than to leave Skyclaw and Moortail unsupervised. Trusting Morninglight to not take her gaze off of the only WindClan tom, Blackshadow turned towards the other she-cats, but he kept his ears pricked towards Silverleaf to listen for any approaching pawsteps. Silverleaf practically had no scent – or had an unusual skill to be able to hide it - so Blackshadow's nose wouldn't alert him to the younger cat's approach.

"Sheath your claws, we didn't come here to attack," Silverleaf murmured, his voice carrying a note of obviously-forced amusement. "WindClan heard of your...difficulties with ShadowClan."

Blackshadow tensed. Neither Streamstar nor Smokestar mentioned any of their Clans' spats with one another at the Gathering. "How did you know about that?"

"You just told me, for one thing," Silverleaf murmured, making Blackshadow want to claw the smaller cats' eyes out for forcing him to reveal information like that. "And I will tell everything else to your leader."

"Where is Streamstar?" Skyclaw asked, nodding in agreement with everything her Clanmate just said. "Is she in your camp? Will you take us there? I don't think it would reflect kindly on us if we entered your camp without a ThunderClan escort."

"Why do you want to speak to Streamstar?" Morninglight growled, not taking her eyes off of Silverleaf, who replied.

"As I mentioned previously, Timidstar heard of ThunderClan's trials with ShadowClan, and your recent...loss. WindClan has also recently lost something very important to us..."

Blackshadow slowly turned his head towards Silverleaf, whose green eyes burned into his amber.

Silverleaf's eyes gleamed. "So WindClan has a proposition for you."

* * *

**Alright. So many cliffies! Will Rosethorn say yes to Thorntail's proposal? And what's WindClan's proposition? Well, I hope they're good cliffhangers, because I'm going to start working on the next chapter soon, and I'd like if people would read it. lol.**

**If you review, I'll give you a...a...a... -ponders- Rufflepelt plushie? Alright, why not? Rufflepelt made an appearence! YAY APPEARENCES!**


	7. Chapter 5

**YAY! I UPDATED! WHOOT! **

**I wrote this in a matter of hours. I'm sorry that it is of slightly lesser-quality than usual... In fact, it moves REALLY REALLY FAST. So fast, that I don't like it. But I'm falling into my old lazy habits and am refusing to fix anything. -shakes fist in the air- ACCEPT THIS!**

**Alright, I also want to tell everyone that I lied. This probably isn't going to be the last fanfic I write. I am currently planning a new one that will probably come up shortly after this is finished. So now I have initiative! YAY INITIATIVE! However, note on that: I can't think of a name for the main character. It's a she-cat...and she's albino - you know, pure white with red eyes. And she's going to be RiverClan... So if anyone has any names to offer, it would be very much appreciated!**

**Also, I'm aware that not many will be able to review this chapter...because of that whole author-note trouble...And...yeah. I'm sorry! -cries-**

**Mapleleaf -I was waiting for your review! Anyways, you might be able to name a kit...if she has any... **

**Squirrelflightlover - I'm afraid you don't get to see Rosethorn's answer. But I think you'll be able to tell from their conversations what she said. **

**Dawnfeather - DANG RIGHT I UPDATED!! lol.**

**Koiijalo - I figured it was the Warrior-Equivalent of asking to get married...so I had Thorntail ask. I thought it would be better than if I just had Rosethorn randomly get pregnant. **

**xx-Secrets-xx - But I love Silverleaf! He's my favorite character! Though I'm worried I might have ruined him in this chapter... -pouts- But, then again, he's acting the whole time, so I don't know if I necessarily ruined him... Ah, well...you'll find out. **

**Swanfeather - Well, I kind of burned out after the last chapter. That's why this one's crap:) **

**Dreams of My Heart - ...Are you serious? lol. Sorry to spoil this for you, but Duststar and Rosethorn won't ever hook up...I know Duststar's like Hugh Hepner, but who do you think Rosethorn is? Anna Nicole Smith? **

**Watersoul the Head Star Walker - -giggles evilly-**

**Cloudfire - My button is green too... -looks at back button- I love my back button. I use it more than any other button on my computer, I think. Alright, I use dashes a lot too... ------ but that's a key, not a button... **

**lmblovesmilk - Okay. You're going to be the plushie for this chapter. **

**Steeltalon - Thanks a lot! **

**Pearl H. Sweden - Well, since time in this fanfiction actually moves slower than it does in real life (three chapters can happen in one day) They might not ever become apprentices. -awkward pause- In fact, now that I think about it, I kind of wonder how well I plotted this fanfic. I don't even know why I had them born. Iriskit and Hollowkit, too... Why are they there? **

**Tainted Lullaby - You're going to probably find more mistakes in this one, too! I proofread it...kinda. However, I can't help but wonder why everyone seems to love Rufflepelt so much all of a sudden... I just stuck her in randomly... You're not the only one commenting on her!**

**Smokefeather - Yay...kitties? **

**Wildwood Harmony - Thanks. -blushes- **

**Stonetail's Loyalty - Well...not directly. **

**Dragon-Star155 - Thank you so much!**

**Sorry if I didn't get to reply to your review... But...time and stuff.**

**Anwyays, again, this chapter is mostly dialogue. I put some obligatory description, but I think the dialogue truly moves this chapter... So...yeah. Oh, and this chapter bops around. A lot. From ThunderClan to RiverClan and stuff. But you can always tell the POV your about to enter, because before ThunderClan POVs it goes 'Apple...Black' and before RiverClan it goes 'Thorn...Rose' or something. So I think you'll catch ono. :-) **

**Enjoy,**

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A streak of red fur pelted through the reeds as they rustled to greet her. Her paws barely touched the ground as she pushed herself forward, feeling as if she were flying through the sky instead of running alongside the river. Behind her, she could hear the sound of another, larger cat's paws pounding after her.

"Thorntail," she called behind her, her heart fluttering in her chest as she uttered his name, "we can't do this again! It's already morning!"

The gray cat didn't seem to hear her, his blue eyes glimmering as he jogged to catch his mate. "Do you know what's going to happen to you if you keep running, Rosethorn?"

She didn't slow down her step, but did make a careful effort to leap over a large boulder that stood in her way as she growled, "No, what?"

"I'll mate with you again!"

"Isn't that what's going to happen if you catch me?"

"Either way."

Rosethorn let out a purr louder than the surf beside her, and suddenly lulled by the idea, she slowed her pace. As soon as she did, she felt the warmth of his desire enflame the air before the large grey lump of fur that she called her mate was beside her, running his tongue along her ear in soft, caressing licks. "Caught...you," he mewed between moments when his mouth wasn't full of the she-cat's scarlet fur.

"We can't, Thorntail," she pointed out seriously. "It's morning. There's probably hunting and patrols to - "

"Doesn't matter!" Thorntail declared in an oddly-heroic tone. "From now on it's going to be day and night, night and day! Anytime, anywhere!" He stopped licking her, and began to bounce around like an excited baby rabbit, his eyes wide and excited like a kit's. "By the river, in the warrior's den, in the nursery, in Duststar's den..."

Rosethorn batted her paws playfully against his side as he bounded around her, her ears flicking blissfully. "In our leader's den?"

Thorntail simply nodded in answer to her question, but didn't stop on his long list of locations. "In Twolegplace, on the ground, in ShadowClan territory, in a tree, _wherever_!"

"Mate-crazed lunatic!" Rosethorn huffed, but in direct hypocrisy to what she just uttered, she felt a wild desire to repeat what had just occurred at the cliff overlooking twolegplace. Giving into her want, she launched herself at the tomcat and barreled him over, pinning him on his back like he truly was a rabbit.

He twisted his neck and with a lazy, yet sensuous movement his tongue strolled down her neck while she used her limbs to explore him with a new hunger. Her senses fluttered in response, and as if it had been sleeping, the female inside her came alive, graciously accepting his numerous caresses, but continuously awaiting for something more.

She liked the curve of his neck as it wrapped itself around hers, the gentleness of his eyes as they looked at her with more than mere masculine interest and the muscles beneath his pelt as they exuded a relentless passion. Her body, alive now, longed for a conqueror. Her peculiar longing was primitive...and exciting.

Morbidly, her mind started to replay the nightmare that she had just earlier created in her sleep.

But dreams had to take second priority to reality.

_Apple...Black_

"Applefur! Applefur, wake up _right now_!"

"No." Applefur made her voice as firm and strong as oak as she snapped at what she thought was an annoying kit spoiling a nap. "Shut up, Iriskit. For the last time we are not going to rally up all the other kits and go steal back that useless clump of territory from ShadowClan today." She paused. "Tomorrow, maybe. Depends on the weather."

Applefur was relieved by the silence her reply to Iriskit had given to her, and soon the scarlet queen found herself falling back into her dream world. After a moment of lingering between fantasy and reality she was running on patrols once more, fighting for her Clan beside her Clanmates with Blackshadow and her fully-grown kits by her side. But right before she was going to dig her fangs into a dream-enemy, she was nudged awake once more.

The voice replied with unmasked impatience, "I'm not Iriskit!"

"Blazekit?" she asked lazily, naming her son. In that case, she had to change her answer. "No, you can't play 'Bother Twilightfur'. One of these days she's going to snap your neck..."

"No!" The voice sounded so familiar as it let out an impatient squeal. "I'm not Blazekit, either," it hissed impatiently as its owner tried to nudge her awake.

"You're lying. Iriskit and Blazekit are the only kits dumb enough to wake me up when I'm trying to sleep."

"Applefur, keep track of your kits! Dusktail is watching them for the day."

_Oh, yeah... _Applefur grunted at the recollection, and slowly opened her eyes to see the soon-to-be-dead cat that had woke her up. She had been worried sick for her friend, Rosethorn, and hadn't been able to get any shut eye for the past two days...and the moment she does... Badgerclaw wakes her up.

"What is it?" she asked, stretching on her pile of moss and gritting her teeth together. As she regained full-consciousness, she looked around to assure herself that she had slept in the nursery. Once she confirmed that she had, she looked up, disoriented.

Badgerclaw's black and white fur was standing on end, and his normally-beady eyes were wide and a shadow of worry was scrawled across his face. Applefur was only slightly perturbed by his appearance and instead asked, "Why are you in the nursery?"

"I offered to kitsit!" Badgerclaw declared solemnly. The large black and white tom's already-large eyes grew even bigger for emphasis.

Applefur hesitated, blinking in bafflement. "I'm sorry – you did _what_?!"

"Well," he began, obviously struggling to keep the panic from entering his voice, "I heard Sandpelt mention to Ebonypool that she wanted to go out to stretch her legs...but Dusktail had her paws full with your kits, and you were asleep. So I offered to watch. And Sandpelt let me."

She didn't answer at first. Instead, she merely stood and stared, tongue-tied. Finally she was able to gasp, "But why?"

Badgerclaw explained with rapid intensity. "I thought that if Twilightfur saw that I was good with kits, she'd consider taking me as her mate instead of being her friend."

Applefur recalled that Badgerclaw had been padding after Twilightfur ever since the sister of the homicidal effeminate tom had made ThunderClan her home. But that wasn't the point. She snapped her grumpy serpent out at him. "I meant why did Sandpelt let you watch her kits?"

Badgerclaw let out a terrified mewl. "I have absolutely no idea! But she must be crazy!" He turned his back on her, his words dripping with panic as he went on." But the moment Sandpelt left, the two kits started crying out for her!"

Applefur nodded in understanding. "I'd cry too if the milk-maker left me in the paws of the giant badger-looking thing..."

Badgerclaw nodded in agreement. "I know! Seriously! What was Sandpelt thinking?! I can't even take care of my own tail, how can she trust me with her kits?!"

Applefur shrugged to hide her confusion. "So...you offered to kitsit... Where are Sandpelt's kits?"

Badgerclaw explained and Applefur listened, giving her kin her full attention. "Well, Dusktail heard them howling, and she came over and took the female one to watch. But she left the tom with me!"

"One tom? That shouldn't be too hard. What happened?"

"What happened is that it wouldn't shush!" Badgerclaw cried. "It just wouldn't stop with that StarClan-awful screeching!"

A soft gasp escaped her. "It?"

"Him!" Badgerclaw swiftly corrected himself. "And I thought its lungs would explode, so I came up with a game to calm it down."

"_IT_?!"

"Calm_ him_ down! _Him, him_ dang it!" Badgerclaw swore, swiping his claws into the air as he spoke, as if fighting his invisible frustrations. "Anyways...the game worked!"

"Really? What game was it?"

"I made it myself. It's quite ingenious, really."

She couldn't keep the impatience from dripping off of her words as she growled, "How do you play?"

"Well, the kit doesn't do anything, really. I sort of bat the kit around gently, and he tumbles a few tail-lengths away from me."

"That sounds fun."

Badgerclaw nodded vigorously in agreement. "It was! And he loved it! He was having the time of his life. He was giggling, and purring, and he seemed to completely forget that his mother wasn't with him..." Badgerclaw's eyes darkened. "But then..."

Applefur's blood went cold. "Oh no..."

"It happened..." Badgerclaw mumbled. "I...I pushed him too hard..."

"You what?!"

"And he rolled under the bramble wall outside of this nursery..."

"He _what?_!"

"And he got stuck!" Badgerclaw whined helplessly. "I tried to get him out, but I'm too large to slip under there, and I couldn't get him to grab onto my tail, and then he fell asleep, and I worried that if I woke him up, he'd start squealing again...And then Twilightfur might hear and then everything would be for naught!"

"He's still under there?!" Applefur exclaimed in irritation as she leapt to her paws. In a single heartbeat she was outside the nursery on her haunches peering beneath the bramble wall that surrounded the nursery. And, sure enough, Tiberkit was tangled in some of the thorns fast asleep.

Applefur felt Badgerclaw sit beside her and she let out a small reprimand. "I can't believe you tossed little Tiberkit under the bramble wall..."

"Tiberkit?"

Applefur was examining the brambles carefully as she meowed, "Yes – Tiberkit. That's Sandpelt's son's name."

"...Is that really his name?"

"Yeah...what did you think it was?"

"I've been calling him Beaverkit."

Applefur looked up from her inspection long enough to check to see if her brother was serious. "Why have you been calling him Beaverkit?"

"I thought that was his name..."

"Where'd you get Beaverkit from Tiberkit?"

Badgerclaw obviously wasn't in the mood for his sister's banter. "I don't know! I guess I heard wrong!...Do you think its going to hold it against me?"

She shook her head. "Hold something against you, the warrior who tossed him into a bramble bush? No, I think you're good." She stood up and looked at Badgerclaw. "I think I'm small enough that I could squeeze down and get him. Sandpelt won't ever know... You know if Beaverkit never tells her."

"Applefur, stop making fun of me!"

"Don't worry, I won't," she joked, preparing herself for the journey through the thorns. "And I'm going to callhim Beaverkit for the rest of his life." She scrunched her body down, and started to squeeze herself under the brambles, flinching as they dug into her fur. Trying to mask her irritation with humor she went on with her tangent. "Maybe I'll even update it as he gets older. He'll be Beaverpaw, and then Beavertooth!"

"Applefur!"

"And then he'll become Clan leader, and I'll call him Beaverstar! I'll never stop. And when I go to StarClan and visit him in his dreams, I'll still call him Beaverstar! It'll be fun for every-" she broke herself off as she was able to firmly plant her fangs in Tiberkit's scruff. Slowly she backed away, carrying her deputy's son out of the thorns.

"Here," she placed the sleeping kit at Badgerclaw's paws. "Twilightfur doesn't have to know."

Badgerclaw's eyes clouded with gratitude, but before he could voice his thanks another voice rang throughout the clearing. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the HighRock for a Clan meeting!"

Curiosity and hope surged through Applefur as she instantly pushed Badgerclaw and Beaverkit out of her mind and trotted towards the HighRock where Streamstar was waiting to address the Clan. Information on Rosethorn, maybe?

As she started to grow nearer to the meeting, she felt another cat beside her. She recognized the scent instantly. Hope sparked in her chest as she realized that Blackshadow had returned from his patrol. "Did you find Rosethorn?"

"No," Blackshadow's voice was flat. "But I found WindClan."

"Hmm?" She stared into his amber irises, hoping to maybe see the answer inside them. The answer couldn't be found within them; instead it was in her nose as WindClan suddenly pounded on her scent glands. "Is WindClan in the camp?" she asked.

"Yeah," Blackshadow answered. "Skyclaw, Moortail, and..."

Applefur noticed the three WindClan females standing on the bottom of the HighRock, boldly meeting the hostile gazes of the approaching ThunderClan cats with their own. Or wait... were there _three_ WindClan females? There was, as Blackshadow had said, Skyclaw, Moortail...

"and Silverleaf," Blackshadow finished.

"I noticed..." Applefur stopped and sat herself down to watch the meetings. She hadn't seen the silver tom in a long while, and so she was almost as shocked at his feminine appearance now as when she had first met him. He was so dainty and small, with slim shoulders and long, ebony eyelashes crowning large emotionless leaf-green eyes. And if that weren't enough, even the curve of his neck had a dove-like quality that usually only she-cats possessed. In fact, if she hadn't known him she would've thought that he was a she-cat, because since he was not burdened with carrying a scent, one could not even smell that he was a tom.

"Wasn't Silverleaf exiled? As in – _never supposed to come back_?" She asked Blackshadow, her fury just starting to override her initial awe.

Blackshadow didn't take his eyes off of his leader as he replied. "He's carrying a message direct from the WindClan leader. I don't think Silverleaf wants to be here anymore than _we_ want him here, but he has to follow Timidstar's orders. It's part of the Warrior Code."

"Since when did Silverleaf ever follow the Warrior Code?"

The black tomcat didn't answer, but Applefur did notice another night-colored cat sit on her other flank. She turned her head, and was pleasantly surprised to see a plump Ebonypool beside her.

"Is that really Silverleaf?" Ebonypool breathed, her own emerald gaze examining every detail of the WindClan tom as Applefur had just been a moment ago.

"Hold on, let me check..." Applefur made a great show of stretching her neck out to get a proper view. "Yes, there's a trail of slime leading right to where he's sitting. That's Silverleaf."

Streamstar waited patiently on her seat, her tail occasionally batting against the stone on which she sat as her Clan finished gathering around her. Finally, she meowed, "WindClan's leader has sent us a message..."

"We noticed," Applefur grumbled to Blackshadow.

"And an offer," Streamstar continued. Sapphire eyes reminiscent of Rosethorn's batted towards the only WindClan tom. "Silverleaf, please repeat to my Clan what you just told me."

Silverleaf, who had been facing Streamstar, dipped his head courteously towards her before turning to stare the whole of ThunderClan square in the eye. "ThunderClan," he began, "I have failed think of any way to place this in a manner that would be favorable to all present. So I shall instead quote the warrior that spoke to our ancestors many moons ago, the quote that resulted in the creation of the four Clans in this forest."

For the first time in the moons that Applefur had been acquainted with Silverleaf, she saw his emerald eyes flash with emotion as he announced, "_Unite or Die_."

_Rose...Thorn_

Rosethorn pressed her body against Thorntail's as she calmly watched the kits of RiverClan – most of whom were fathered by Duststar - scurry around the camp. A burning desire was welling up into her throat, though this one was different than what she had felt when she had been bounding across the territory with Thorntail. It was closer to the want she had harbored when she had been with her father – a need to have Crimsonspirit at her side...but even that didn't fully capture what she felt watching the kits.

"You know, Thorntail," she meowed absentmindedly, "didn't you once tell me that you didn't want kits?" As she spoke, Quickfoot's daughter, Rushkit, tumbled right into the paws of a lazy elder who snapped about the spoiled youths of today.

Thorntail had been watching Hazelkit sneak some fresh-kill out of the pile to feed to an apprentice who was being punished with a somewhat amused expression. At first she came to the conclusion that he hadn't heard her, but finally he spoke. "I say a lot of things."

"You felt pretty strongly about that at the time."

"I did," Thorntail meowed, obviously hoping that that half-tailed answer would satisfy her. But when he saw that it didn't, he elaborated, "Rosethorn, this way, both privately _and_ publicly we'll be mates. Shadenight will stop chasing after me, and Duststar will stop badgering you. What's more, it would show RiverClan that this is where we intend to stay – so much so that we decided to raise our kits here. It's convenient."

"That's it? It's _convenient_?"

"Well," Thorntail drawled as he entwined his tail with hers, "I'd also like something that would tie us together forever." Suddenly, a spark of intensity seemed to ignite between them, and Thorntail snapped his head towards her, passion flowing within his irises. "We'll be together, forever, Rosethorn? From now on?"

There was a slur of a question as he spoke, and Rosethorn nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. We'll be together forever, Thorntail."

She felt the electricity of his touch as he began to caress her side with his tail, and her face with the mere intensity of his gaze. "You won't leave me alone? You won't leave my side?"

"No, I'll never leave..." she replied, pressing herself even closer to him to demonstrate her words. Ultimately, she used her own tail to pin his onto the earth as they both started to groom one another. "I'll never let go," she vowed.

She was caught up in Thorntail's scent and essence, but even though she was able to hear Serpentpelt announce obnoxiously and in third person to probably no one in particular: "SERPENTPELT IS GOING HUNTING! PREPARE FOR HER DEPARTURE!"

RiverClan cats all over the camp started to moan in answer to her cry. "Serpentpelt, you don't need to announce it like that!" some cat cried out.

Serpentpelt obviously didn't notice – or care – about how she was bothering the rest of her Clan. "WHEN SERPENTPELT RETURNS SHE SHALL BE BEARING PREY!! PREPARE A PLACE IN THE FRESH-KILL PILE!!"

The same RiverClan cat as before snapped, "Serpentpelt, just leave and go get the food! At this rate you're going to scare everything away!"

"DOES ANY CAT WISH TO JOURNEY ALONGSIDE SERPENTPELT AS SHE ENGAGES IN AN EPIC QUEST TO FEED HER CLAN?!"

Rosethorn pushed Thorntail away, Serpentpelt's words tumbling in her head. "I'll go with you, Serpentpelt!" she announced.

"I'll come too," she heard Tawnyleaf answer.

Thorntail looked dazed and confused, so Rosethorn explained. "Thorntail, I haven't hunted for RiverClan today."

"So? Have you ever seen how much prey Serpentpelt and Tawnyleaf can catch? They can feed the whole Clan on their own. In fact, they tend to over-hunt so Listeningecho often sends somebody to monitor them..."

"Thorntail, I can't eat unless I catch something for the Clan."

"Rosethorn, you're killing the romantic mood we had set up. What was all this about not leaving my side?"

"Sorry Thorntail, but I'm going to leave your side to go hunting."

"_Rosethorn_!"

"Thorntail, if I don't hunt, you can just catch enough to account for the two of us."

"...Well, what are you waiting for, Rosethorn? Go hunt!"

_Apple...Black_

Silverleaf's controversial words almost instantly had the whole of ThunderClan yowling in protest. The cats mulled around, over half of them yowling obscenities and harsh words – most of them pointing out Silverleaf's effeminate qualities.

Applefur's heart pounded in her chest and rage made her limbs shake; when she realized that she couldn't make them stop she was even more enraged. "How dare you say that, Silverleaf?!"

Blackshadow gently nudged her side. "Applefur, do you even know what he meant when he said 'Unite or Die'?"

"Not a clue, but it had the word 'die' in it, so it sounds threatening!"

Silverleaf sat with what was left of his tail wrapped neatly around his paws, calmly washing his ears as if he wasn't being berated with verbal attacks. His two Clanmates, Moortail and Skyclaw, however, looked truly nervous.

As the angry Clan quieted itself down from boredom of harassing a tom who seemed to not notice or care, Silverleaf spoke again. "It was not my intention to say anything of insulting nature to you, ThunderClan. For that I'm apologetic. _However_," Silverleaf's voice grew hard, "it is no secret to the forest that ThunderClan has recently surrendered territory to ShadowClan." Silverleaf flicked his tail dismissively. "No honest cat here will tell me that ShadowClan will not demand more from you."

"I don't see how this is WindClan's concern," Flamesoul, from a position that wasn't visible to Applefur, spoke up.

"It is," Silverleaf promised. "ShadowClan has also taken some of WindClan's land as well." He looked meaningfully around at his former Clan. "ShadowClan will not stop this wretched bullying and thievery. They know that we are weak, and they will take full advantage of us while we are in this state of low population. And as long as ShadowClan continues this, neither of our Clans will ever grow strong again. Therefore, for now and for generations onward WindClan and ThunderClan will always be dipping their heads at ShadowClan and RiverClan. While they flourish, we shall whither.

"_Unless we unite_!" Silverleaf proclaimed fiercely. "If WindClan and ThunderClan join together, we shall have near-equal numbers to ShadowClan. Together, we shall be able to become strong once more."

"But there have always been four Clans in the forest!" Icepelt called out.

Silverleaf nodded vigorously, as if that was an incredibly important point. "Indeed. And _four_ shall remain. WindClan and ThunderClan will be separate Clans, but we will help and aid one another until we are each able to be strong again. We will lick each other's wounds, and stand firmly against any threat we come across!"

This aroused conversation from every cat in the clearing, and clearly some favored the possibility.

"I don't know about this," Applefur muttered to her mate. "I know that we'd offer WindClan greater numbers, but what does WindClan have to offer us?"

"More prey than you can imagine, probably," Blackshadow replied. "WindClan's territory is capable of feeding more than an entire Clan. And since they're so small now, they most likely have a lot extra. Besides, it'll probably be mostly for show. We say to RiverClan and ShadowClan that we're acting as one Clan now and they'll think twice about attacking either of us, knowing that we have the capabilities to fight back...but this won't work," he finished flatly.

"Why not?" Applefur asked, cocking her head to one side. "I think what Silverleaf says makes sense. If we truly stay as separate Clans, we won't be breaking the warrior code. And if we help one another, we'll get stronger a lot quicker."

"Because..." Blackshadow raised his voice, to speak directly to Silverleaf, "RiverClan and ShadowClan aren't just going to laze around while we toil to heal one another. When they find out that we've joined, RiverClan and ShadowClan would also entwine. And then we'd be outnumbered again, and right back to where we started from."

Silverleaf seemed surprised by Blackshadow's insight, and almost pleased. "True. This is why we shall make ShadowClan and RiverClan go to war with one another. They will each grow weaker as they fight, while we will grow stronger."

_Rose...Thorn_

"Okay, Dear Rose, just don't let your reflection hit the water. Eventually a fishy fish will come, and you scoop it out with your paw."

Rosethorn looked at Serpentpelt blankly. "That's it? That's how you catch a fish?...And stop calling me Deerrose. It makes no sense."

"Observe Serpentpelt as she delivers a fish out of the water and into our stomachs." The RiverClan warrior stood deadpan by the river, not a single hair on her pelt twitching. In a flash, her paw dove into the water and Rosethorn was shocked to see a fish fling out of the river. In an instant, Serpentpelt finished it with a quick bite. "Simple as a bimple."

"...What's a bimple?"

"No clue, but I think I'll name my kits after one if I ever have any," Serpentpelt mewed thoughtfully.

Tawnyleaf, who had been sitting beside Serpentpelt rolled her leaf-green eyes with annoyance. "I hope you never have any kits, Serpentpelt. Kindly stay out of the gene pool."

"Serpentpelt thinks that she will jump into any pool that she feels like, Tawny Mommy."

"Don't call me Tawny Mommy. That doesn't even make sense..."

Rosethorn shuffled towards the bank to mirror what she had just seen her Clanmate do. But as soon as she was about to dive her paw into the liquid, Serpentpelt spoke to her – frightening Rosethorn's victim away.

"So why did Rosie Dearest leave ThunderClan, anyways?"

Rosethorn held her paw in midair, at first unsure of how to answer the question. Should she really divulge everything about Flamesoul to Serpentpelt?

Serpentpelt sensed her hesitation. "If it makes Rosie Dearest uncomfortable, she doesn't have to tell Serpentpelt anything. Serpentpelt isn't one to pry."

Serpentpelt's calm and relaxed demeanor spread into Rosethorn. "Well...I think it's rather simple," Rosethorn admitted. "I didn't want to mate with a tom I didn't love," she dove her paw into the water, and flung a fish out of the depths, "and I wanted to mate a lot with a tom I _did_ love."

Serpentpelt's eyes rounded with curiosity. "Who's the tom Dear Rose didn't love? Serpentpelt knows that Dear Rose loves Duststar but..."

"I do not love Duststar! I respect him as my Clan leader, and that's it!"

Tawnyleaf spoke up, "Flamesoul?"

Rosethorn sharply turned her head to look at the sand-colored female. "What?"

"Flamesoul." Tawnyleaf repeated as she copied what Serpentpelt had demonstrated and flung a fish out of the river. "Was Flamesoul the tom you didn't love?"

Rosethorn hesitated, but finally decided that if Tawnyleaf knew, then Tawnyleaf knew. "Yeah...how did you..."

"Flamesoul has a strong hatred of she-cats," Tawnyleaf explained, tossing another fish out of the water. "Kill that for me, Serpentpelt..."

Rosethorn blinked in awe. "W-why?"

"Because if Serpentpelt doesn't kill the fish, it'll find its way back into the river. That's a silly question, Rosethorn," Tawnyleaf yawned as she prepared to catch herself one more.

"No, that's not what I meant..." Rosethorn stuttered. "I mean... Why does Flamesoul hate she-cats?"

"I dunno. I'm not Flamesoul...Wow! Look at the size of that one!" she exclaimed as she ripped yet another fish out of the water and into Serpentpelt's jaws. Tawnyleaf watched with an amused expression as Serpentpelt sent the fish to FishClan or wherever fish go when they die, before she meowed, "But I do know that Flamesoul had his heart broken by Scarletstripe or whatever her name was. And then his mentor was a female, and they had an incredibly strained relationship... But this might be a case of wondering whether the chicken came before the egg. Scarletstripe and Ambertail might've been so cold to him because he hated their gender, or he hated their gender because they were so cold to him."

Rosethorn looked at Tawnyleaf in awe. She stumbled for words, "B-but how do you know about...?"

"You know how I was RiverClan's medicine cat?" Tawnyleaf asked. "Well, my mentor died in the middle of my training. And instead of learning from all the medicine cats, like you did, Duststar sent me to ThunderClan so I could finish up my apprenticeship under Ambertail...alongside _Flamesoul_." Tawnyleaf padded over to the pile of the three fish that she had captured. "When a tom does what Flamesoul does to a she-cat, Rosethorn, it's often not about love or even mating. It's a simple way to declare dominance over the other gender. The fact that you look so much like Scarletstripe is just an added bonus."

_Apple...Black_

"How do you know that RiverClan and ShadowClan will go to war?" Applefur asked Silverleaf. "I haven't seen any sign of hostility between them."

"There hasn't been any sign," Silverleaf admitted. "That's why we shall...push them into it."

"And how do you intend to do that?"

"Leave that to me," he meowed.

Applefur bristled. "No...That's not an answer."

"None of this matters!" Flamesoul fumed. "Streamstar, we can't accept this proposal. It would be against the Warrior Code."

Silverleaf stared blankly in what Applefur assumed was Flamesoul's general direction. "Well, I suppose Flamesoul wouldn't ever want to break the Warrior Code, would he? After all he hasn't ever before... Even ask Rosethorn, she'll tell you all about Flamesoul's great servitude to StarClan and... abstinence."

Applefur looked curiously at Silverleaf. Part of her was bewildered at how he was able to know, and part of her was leaping with joy that some cat – even if it had been Silverleaf – took a swipe at Flamesoul...even if no other cat in ThunderClan understood what Silverleaf meant.

"Indeed, _Rosethorn_!" Flamesoul continued, as if unbothered by Silverleaf's sarcasm. "Not only would this be in direct defiance to StarClan's laws, but I honestly don't think that we should listen to anything that comes out of Silverleaf's mouth. He tried to murder our leader's daughter StarClan's sakes!"

Silverleaf's eyes chilled over once more, and Applefur had never seen the effeminate tomcat so annoyed. However, his voice returned to its normal emotionless state as he vowed, "I will never harm Streamstar's daughter the way you have, Flamesoul."

"I've never murdered a cat, Silverleaf."

Silverleaf countered stoically, "No, you just rape them."

"Wha – how _dare_ you insult me in such a way!"

ThunderClan was rallied into a rage again, viciously defending their medicine cat. Applefur, contrarily, felt incredibly blissful. "I love you, Silverleaf! I want to run over to you and have your kits for you..." she turned to Blackshadow, and asked jokingly, "You don't mind, do 'ya?"

Silverleaf seemed to recall that he was trying to win ThunderClan's favor, and quickly backtracked. "Indeed, it was a poor insult of the highest regard. I promise to choose my words much more carefully in the future." Silverleaf gave Flamesoul one last scathing glance, and Applefur realized that Silverleaf didn't like Flamesoul anymore than Applefur did. Silverleaf, the cat who spoke of and carried out murder as if it were nothing, despised Flamesoul.

_Even the Silverleaf has _some _morals, _Applefur realized.

"In fact," Silverleaf went on, "I think I shall repent my past actions. Where is Rosethorn? And Thorntail? They were the only cats who saw my vial atrocities, and it was on their words alone that I was exiled from ThunderClan. Where are they?" Silverleaf then used what remained of his tail to cover his mouth as if he had just spoke an obscenity. "Oh...Thorntail went to RiverClan, didn't he? And Rosethorn's been missing for days... Well, they're such loyal warriors of ThunderClan that I'm sure they have good excuses."

That was all Silverleaf needed to say. Applefur's high opinion of him instantly dropped as she realized what he was trying to do. He was using the streak of mud on both Thorntail and Rosethorn's names to try and say that they had lied against him, and that he had been falsely accused.

It worked. ThunderClan's rambunctious voice fell into a shamed silence.

"This wouldn't be the first time that ThunderClan had falsely condemned one of their own on the word of a traitor," Applefur heard Swiftfoot mumble to Icepelt, who grunted in agreement. Applefur knew that Swiftfoot was referring to Robinwing's execution, and similar conversations were being carried out all around her.

She dug her claws into the earth. She knew Rosethorn and Thorntail hadn't lied about what Silverleaf had tried to do...But she couldn't say anything because she hadn't witnessed any of it! She just believed that Rosethorn would never lie about something like that.

"It's alright," Silverleaf assured ThunderClan. "It's just my personal philosophy, but I think it is better for an innocent cat to be condemned then for a guilty cat to go unpunished." It was subtle, but Silverleaf again glared hatefully at Flamesoul. "But because of ThunderClan's injustice towards me, I ask that they atone for it by at least _considering _WindClan's offer!"

"But what if you're wrong?" Beakclaw asked Silverleaf. "If RiverClan and ShadowClan don't go to war, then they will, as Blackshadow said, join together and crush us! Then we will all die!"

"Then we must die together...Or surely, we will die alone."

Another voice rang out. "But it's as Flamesoul says: It's treason to the Warrior Code!"

Silverleaf unsheathed his claws. "Treason? Treason to be assured that all our kits will grow up and defend their Clan? Treason so that our kits will grow up and even have a Clan to defend?" Silverleaf let out a chilling purr. "_If this be treason, make the most of it_!"  
Numerous discussions broke out around the clearing, and as they rumbled away, all the emotion that Silverleaf had just demonstrated vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and he Silverleaf went on with what he had been doing earlier and started to bathe. Silverleaf was somehow able to weave his body however he wished, to shape and mold it to be any cat, any personality. _Phenomenal acting skills... _

"I will discuss this with my senior warriors and Swiftfoot," Streamstar announced over the ruckus. "Silverleaf, kindly stay in our Clan so that you can answer any of our questions."

"I was merely sent here to convince you of Timidstar's offer, Streamstar," Silverleaf replied to her. "Skyclaw is more patient and is able to answer quarries in a more elaborate manner. If you have any questions, she would be the best to ask."

"...Are you going to return to WindClan, Silverleaf?"

"Not right away. With your permission, I'll be staying here for awhile with Moortail and Skyclaw, but there is something I must do tonight in order to assure that RiverClan and ShadowClan both go to war..."

"Um...alright," Streamstar seemed confused, but she didn't press Silverleaf any further. Instead she leapt off of the HighRock and scurried into her den. She was followed by Swiftfoot, Sandpelt, Shrewtail, and the cat who tossed kits under bramble bushes.

The rest of ThunderClan scattered into groups to gossip about WindClan's offer. Applefur couldn't hear exactly what they all were saying, but from the optimistic tone of everyone's voice she guessed they weren't oppositional. Meanwhile, Skyclaw and Moortail began to share tongues while Silverleaf was smothered under the weight of his two sisters who proceeded to lose all of their pride and tackled him, squealing like newborn kits.

She turned to Blackshadow, who had also been watching Silverleaf with morbid curiosity. "So...what do you think?" she asked. "Do you think ThunderClan and WindClan should unite?"

"I'll support Streamstar in whatever decision she makes," Blackshadow meowed carefully, "but to be honest, as long as it's temporary, I think ThunderClan can only benefit from being a close ally to WindClan. Apart we're weak, but together we're as strong as either RiverClan or ShadowClan."

"I guess so," Applefur muttered. "But I don't trust Silverleaf."

"Silverleaf was just a mouthpiece. Maybe he doesn't really believe in what he said or care if WindClan and ThunderClan are wiped out, but he was speaking for Timidstar. If you look at the words, and not the cat saying them, everything makes sense."

"He lied about what he did to Rosethorn. He tried to kill her, Blackshadow. I know it!"

"I do too. But he just lied to gain ThunderClan's favor. He's a great speaker; you have to give him credit there."

Applefur shrugged. "That's true," she admitted.

She looked back over to Silverleaf, who was at least pretending to be listening intently to something Gingerpaw was jabbering on about. Actually, she had never seen Silverleaf's eyes so soft as that moment when he was listening to his younger sister. Silverleaf meowed something prompting to Gingerpaw, possibly asking her some question, before he raised his gaze and seemed to stare at something just over his sister's shoulder. Applefur followed his gaze curiously, and saw that he was glaring at Flamesoul.

_How can I hate this cat so much, and yet agree with him on so many things? _She thought, combining her angry glare with Silverleaf and tossing it at Flamesoul. But Flamesoul was obliviously discussing the matter at paw with Beakclaw and took no notice at the combined strength of Applefur and Silverleaf.

Applefur ultimately rose to her paws, and started towards Silverleaf. Blackshadow let out a squeak of surprise, but padded after her. As she grew nearer, she could make out the three siblings' conversation.

Gingerpaw was jabbering on about her training. "Shrewtail says that I'm almost ready for my warrior name. He says that I'm a better fighter than Aquamist, a better hunter than Beakclaw, and more mature than Ebonypool and Morninglight combined! I just have to pass my assessment!"

"That's good." Silverleaf purred, licking his sister between the ears. His eyes, which were now, as usual, dead void of emotion flickered briefly when he noticed Applefur and Blackshadow's approach. "Hello, Blackshadow. Applefur."

"Hello," Blackshadow meowed.

"Hiya," Twilightfur greeted.

"Hey," Gingerpaw meowed.

"How are you?" Applefur mewed.

The five cats just stared at each other awkwardly. Applefur knew that the siblings were waiting for one of the ThunderClan cats to make conversation, while Blackshadow was waiting for her to say something since she was the one who had led them over here. But she had just felt her paws pick her up and carry her away, she had had no say in the matter. And now she had no idea what to say.

"So..." Blackshadow meowed awkwardly, "Silverleaf...uh...your scent...you don't seem to have one."

"No, I don't."

"Why not?"

"It's a birth defect," Silverleaf answered stoically.

Blackshadow blinked in surprise. "Is it really? So...your body just doesn't produce a scent? You can't leave scent markers or stuff?"

"No, I can't."

"Well, that's too bad...But I bet that has more advantages than disadvantages."

"I suppose so."

Blackshadow's attempt at conversation came to a stumbling halt, and again awkwardness covered the cats in an inescapable fog. Gingerpaw and Twilightfur looked incredibly uncomfortable, as did Blackshadow. Applefur knew that she looked that way too, while Silverleaf didn't seem to mind at all.

Finally, the awkwardness of it got to the point that both Gingerpaw and Twilightfur abandoned their brother and wandered away to do something else. Which somehow made Applefur realize what she wanted to say – she just hadn't been able to before with Gingerpaw and Twilightfur there.

"How did you know about Rosethorn and Flamesoul? Who told you?"

Applefur was surprised when Silverleaf actually answered her question. "Nobody told me."

"Then how did you know?"

"I figured it out myself."

"How!?"

"From something my mother told me when I was a kit."

"...You have a sick mother."

"This is a true statement."

"So..."

"So what?"

"What'd your mother tell you?"

Silverleaf licked a dainty paw. "I believe that's between me and my mother."

Right before Applefur was about to completely lose her temper and fly at the WindClan tom – spoiling any chances of a union – Streamstar appeared from her den.

_That was fast! _Applefur thought in awe.

The Clan leader launched herself onto the HighRock. It wasn't even necessary for her to make the ceremonial call, the ThunderClan cats started to gather around her as soon as all of her ivory paws were placed on the stone.

"It has been decided," Streamstar announced. "Silverleaf, Moortail, Skyclaw... You may tell Timidstar that we accept her offer."

* * *

**See. Told 'ya it was rushed! But it was 14 pages - that's incredibly long for a fanfiction chapter! I personally think chapters should stop at 10 pages for fanfiction, but I hardly ever listen to my own rule these days... Also, yes, Silverleaf quotes Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry seemed like a good speech maker to me, so I threw in some of his most famous quotes. THANKS PATRICK HENRY! You were a good man in the American Revolution... **

**-awkward pause-**

**Also, there's a reference to Gilmore Girls in there. But if you don't watch Gilmore Girls you won't catch it. YAY! **

**Oh, and if you review you get an lmblovesmilk plushie. Lmblovesmilk is one of my star reviewers, and I have no idea what she looks like, but I have a plushie of her. And I'm willing to give it to you if you review! If you have the capability to review. If you don't, just tell me NEXT chapter, and you can get a lmblovesmilk plushie.**

**(And do you have any idea how long I've wanted Silverleaf to snap at Flamesoul? I had that in my head ever since I introduced the two characters...Of course in my mind there was more...) **

**Oh yeah. Review! **


	8. Chapter 6

**YAY!! I updated. Personally, I know a lot of you people probably lost interest in this story, but I'm writing it for my own amusement! But for those of you who do care, I promise to start pumping these out faster! School's out for me now, so I have a lot of free time...and I started writing this chapter...and just fell in love with Thorntail all over again. I want to see him reach the end of his quest just as much as you do! I just need to write it! **

**To reply to some reviewers...**

**Cinnamonpool **- **Well, I'm glad your so loyal! But I'm afraid you won't have time to read this one twenty times, because I plan on starting on the next chapter right away! Tonight even! OO **

**Brownstar - Thanks for the compliments! I wanted to try and avoid the big Clan drama and stick with the problems of just the main characters. Thanks again!**

**FlightClan-SkyCloud - I'll update more often! Promise! **

**Underwater Seahorse - Awe, thanks for reading! -gives desired plushies- Anyways, the first book has so many typos that I don't even read it myself out of embarassment. One day I'll finish the rewrite, and then I'll be like "NOW BOOK 2 and 3 SUCK!! MUST REWRITE!!" And then it will be an endless cycle. xD I personally like Silverleaf. Flamesoul I don't like, but I don't hate him because...well, if he wasn't here than this story wouldn't be as interesting. Personally Silverleaf, Graywhisker, and Smokestar are my favorite characters that I made but...yeah. Listeningecho is actually named after someone I know. If you say her name real fast, you get the other person's name. But Listeningecho has a completely different personality...heh heh heh... And yeah! Thanks for the review! **

**Silverrose82- In BRST I downright stated Tawnyleaf's and Silverleaf's connection. Not many people remember that though, so you'll just have to wait for me to reveal it again! ;)**

**Golden Fox - I love Silverleaf too! He gets some spotlight in this chapter! (And maybe you'll be smarter than Blackshadow and realize what Silverleaf is REALLY talking about. xD ) **

**Squirrelflightlover- I hope you review this chapter! I love seeing your reviews...**

**Hope in the Name of Love - OMG!! THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLIMENTS I'VE EVER RECEIVED!! THANK YOU!! **

**Silent Shadow - I had a hissy fit about that thievory in one of my author's notes before. xD But I'm glad it helped you find the story!**

**Peachfoot - I made Serpentpelt by complete accident. I guess I grew tired of the usual warrior personalities, so I threw someone new in. I'm glad you like her! Sadly she doesn't appear in this chapter...**

**Silversparrow19 - I wrote more! ;) **

**Dawnfire - Thanks for the ideas!**

**Tainted Lullaby - Thanks again! **

**MagicNo333 - You are a genius for waiting. -gives cookie-**

**Mapleleaf - I've missed your reviews...I hope you read this chapter. -crosses fingers- I hope that I keep my old reviewers... **

**Nameless Nightmare - Thanks for honoring me with a review! THANK YOU!!**

**Pearl H. Sweden - -jsut remembers- I never replied to your pm. Sorry! Thanks for the review! **

**Also thanks xX-Secrets- lmblovesmilk, Steeltalon, Smokefeather, Wildwood Harmony, Silent Momento, and DragonStar-155!! **

**Now, this chapter...eh... Well, I was trying to get back into the mood of the story... You know, get into it. So it isn't that great, but it's setting up for the NEXT chapter. (I wanted to dip into everyone's heads and all that... regrasp Thorntail, remember what everyone's doing... yeah...)  
**

* * *

_"Why?!" The apprentice's voice rose to an ear-shattering screech, as if the word had to claw its way through its master's vocal cords. "Why can't I meet with Shadepaw and Owlpaw?!" _

_He had been throwing these words at a great tomcat, who had nestled himself comfortably in the shade of some boulder, blocked from the glare of the golden sun and the chill of the north winds. "Why can't you spend your days with a pair of enemy apprentices?" the tom repeated the younger cat's words slowly, as if he hadn't fully comprehended them when they had first been spoken. "Well," his voice lowered into a menacing growl, "for one thing, you are a ShadowClan cat. You met enemy cats in RiverClan territory. That is against the warrior code. Anything against the Warrior Code is wrong, Thornpaw." His voice was firm, and left little room for argument, but the young cat still pursued. _

_"I'm friends with Shadepaw and Owlpaw! RiverClan doesn't even notice that we meet!" _

_"They don't notice," there was an edge of humor to the leader's voice, though it was clear that he was fighting to control his rage. "A patrol of theirs seemed to notice this time. If they hadn't, your shoulder wouldn't be injured now, would it?" To make his point, Smokestar gently dabbed at Thornpaw's injury with his tail. _

_Thornpaw ignored the pain that swept through him from the simple brush, and forced himself forward. "They wouldn't have noticed if Graypaw hadn't been screaming at me the whole time about how we were breaking the Warrior Code and should just go home!"_

_When the leader's eyes met the apprentice's, Thornpaw's eyes lit with blue fire, and Smokestar returned the glare. "You are lucky that Graypaw was making such a noise," he growled, lowering his tone. He seemed to enjoy Thornpaw's dumbfounded silence before he continued mercilessly, his voice low and cold, like he had just cornered his prey. "What would have happened, I wonder, if Graypaw hadn't been? Why, Ravenfeather's patrol never would've known you were in RiverClan territory. I wonder what the RiverClan warriors would have done to you if Ravenfeather's patrol hadn't interfered?" _

_Thornpaw stretched his neck out to level his gaze with the other cat. "I guess I'll have to find that out next time, won't I?" _

_"You still haven't learned your lesson after being so badly injured?!" The leader sounded as shocked as he would be if he had just got struck by lightning. He was momentarily knocked off balance by the rashness of the young cat, but quickly recovered himself. "Don't you get it? Aside from the obvious repercussions, entering another Clan's territory is too dangerous to just be a play activity!"_

_Thornpaw took a pawstep closer offensively, "It's not a play activity!" he snarled, the fur on his neck bristling. He paused for a moment, allowing himself to relax before he added matter-of-factly, "I'm dead serious. I'm serious about keeping my connections in RiverClan! And I'm serious about wanting to return home! I'm serious about one day fighting for RiverClan!" _

_There was a snap of a twig behind him, and Thornpaw didn't even have to sniff the air to tell that Graypaw had stumbled onto the argument. No other ShadowClan cat would be clumsy enough to give his location away while eavesdropping. Thornpaw felt a mild distaste rise into his throat at the attention his brother was giving him, but continued on his tangent anyway. "I spent my kithood in RiverClan - " _

"_But you were born in ShadowClan."_

_Thornpaw blatantly ignored his leader's words and continued, "and I'm going to be a warrior for RiverClan, too! That's why I keep asking Rubyheart to ask you to delay my warrior ceremony. Because I'm going to get my name in my own Clan! Just as soon as - " _

_At that moment, Smokestar's rage overtook his patience and he rose to his paws. At least twice Thornpaw's height, he loomed over the younger cat like a great mountain, his nail-sharp fangs bared. "That's enough! Why don't you use some common sense? Why don't you try thinking about your future here in ShadowClan? It's where you were born, it's where you belong." _

"_I am thinking about my future!" Thornpaw snapped, his ears flat against his head, his eyes darting about the width of the great leader, as if debating whether or not to pounce. "My future in RiverClan!"_

_Smokestar seemed uninterested in the malicious thoughts racing through the other cat's head, and stretched his neck out towards Thornpaw. Annunciating in his ear, he growled, "Swimming through the water like a clumsy duck and taking orders from a senile Clan leader who practically encourages you to take a mate outside of the Clan…is your idea of a future?" _

"_It's my future!" Thornpaw snarled, curling his upper lip. "Not yours. Mine. And I'll do whatever I want with it!" _

"_Thornpaw, this is silly."_

_Thornpaw snapped his head towards the owner of the voice, his pupils rounding in horror as he saw his own reflection speaking out against him. Identical face, identical pelt, identical voice… Everything was his own reflection in a pool, except for the eyes. The eyes, which were softer, warmer, nobler, kinder…_

_"You've said too much. You should apologize to father."_

_Thornpaw's burning rage turned into arctic hatred as his brother rose up against him. _

"_I agree with him," Graypaw mewed, his voice dropping a pitch as he noticed the burning eyes turning onto him. "Thornpaw, you should be more realistic. We're not RiverClan cats anymore – we never really were. You should give everything you have to ShadowClan." _

_It had never particularly unsettled Thornpaw that he and his brother shared every outward attribute with one another. The shade of their pelts, the ripples of their muscles, their pale blue eyes, their broad face, their silver whiskers, even their scents. But suddenly, Thornpaw felt a stab in his chest, and a chill slither down his spine as he looked at Graypaw twisting around and betraying him for…Smokestar? _

_He didn't know when he gave his muscles the order to, but he suddenly felt himself storming away courtesy of his paws, which suddenly had a mind of their own. It would be silly to keep arguing when already his traitor of a brother had turned on him. _

_In speaking of traitorous brothers…_

"_Wait…Thornpaw!" Graypaw's voice rang behind him, broken only by gasps of breath. The small amount of energy he had to have exerted in order to catch up with Thornpaw must've tired the weaker tomcat out. Poor thing. _

_Thornpaw felt an irritating buzz within him as he noticed the other cat trailing behind him like a magnet._

_After a few more puffs, Graypaw successfully was able to prance alongside Thornpaw, side by side. "W-what are you so mad about?" _

_Thornpaw ignored him, using all of his emotional strength to keep himself from pouncing on Graypaw and showing him a taste of his physical strength. _

"_Dad and I are just worried about you!" _

_The use of the affectionate word 'Dad' in place of the leader's name made Thornpaw stop in his tracks and whip his head towards Graypaw. "Well mind your own business!" The other tom flattened his ears and took a pawstep back, acutely aware of the potential Thornpaw had to hurt him. "What I do and what happens to me has nothing to do with you!" _

_Thornpaw turned his whole body towards Graypaw, feeling charged by the fear scent that Graypaw's body was emitting. "If you want to play ShadowClan with Smokestar, go ahead. Just leave me out of it!" Confidant that the argument was won, what with Graypaw's cowardice, Thornpaw started to pad towards…towards… _wherever,_ as long as Graypaw wouldn't come with him. _

He had underestimated Graypaw's determination, however, because his brother started to pad after him, still carrying the argument on his tongue, not understanding. "Why would you say such a thing?" Graypaw asked, his voice strained as if he were in pain. He eyed Thornpaw carefully, as if he could find the answers hidden in his rippling pelt. Not finding them, he continued, "Why do you always rebel against Dad? What's wrong with you?"

_"What's wrong with you?!" Thornpaw countered, stopping to swipe a sheathed paw towards Graypaw. The other cat stumbled back before the blow could meet his face, but the feeling behind the action was clear. Thornpaw wrinkled his nose with distaste at the instant retreat before sweeping on, "You just lap up everything he says like a kittypet eating his Twoleg slop!"_

_Confusion appeared in Graypaw's crystal-clear pools. "What? I'm…I'm not like a kittypet…" _

_"Yes you are! Every day!" Graypaw just stood there, stunned, so Thornpaw elaborated. "All you try to do, day in, day out, is try to please that arsling!" Graypaw looked like he wanted to run, and leave the argument as it was, but this did nothing but disgust Thornpaw even more. "And with your face and voice the same as mine…I get chills every time I see you doing flips for his attention!" _

_The shock and confusion drained from Graypaw's gaze, and was replaced with a chilled glaze. He stood still, the fear scent blown from the air, his felt flat on his shoulders. Graypaw seemed to analyze Thornpaw for a few moments before he finally sighed, "There's something wrong with you." _

_"Something wrong with- "_

_"Ever since we came to ShadowClan," Graypaw murmured, his voice icily calm. _

_"We're RiverClan ca - "_

"_We weren't safe in RiverClan," Graypaw pressed. "Fishpaw almost killed me, you almost killed Fishpaw, Fishpaw's mentor almost killed you. You were as eager to escape as I was," Graypaw shook his head, not accepting Thornpaw's meager excuses. "You're just irritable. You rebel against Smokestar over every little thing…." Graypaw trailed off, as if unsure of whether or not he should continue. Making his decision, he went on. "Thanks to you…ShadowClan's having trouble accepting us. There's always tension between us and our Clanmates and Smokestar and…and…" Graypaw's gaze raised to the sky, as if pleading his case to the heavens. "And I can't stand that, Thornpaw. I try to get along…I try to give everything to our Clan…We're finally able to be with our kin, Thornpaw!" Graypaw's voice rose to a plea. "We should try to make up for the time that we were apart. But you're always ruining it!" _

_Graypaw seemed to find some hidden aura of strength from within him, because he rose to his full height, meeting Thornpaw's icy cold glare with burning blue embers. "I don't know what you're problem is, Thornpaw! You're always losing your temper, and sulking!…It's because of you that we just can't live here happily! And - "_

_Thornpaw had no intention of allowing Graypaw to continue. Suddenly, he lurched forward, and dug his forepaws into Graypaw's exposed chest, twisting the fur between his claws and finally ripping them out, the force throwing Graypaw onto the earth. _

"_Who do you think you're talking to, so high and mighty?" Thornpaw growled, cocking his head to one side as he eyed the fallen tom before him with an irritated look plastered onto his face. _

_He waited for Graypaw to leap to his paws, and fall into him in a writhing ball of fur with fangs bared and claws unsheathed. But instead, his kin just lie on the ground, his muzzled buried into his paws, as if completely submitting to his brother. _

"_The only thing you're good for is crying for me to come and save you," Thornpaw pointed out tartly, licking one of his claws clean of the blood he had apparently torn from Graypaw's body. "You hunt like a half-blind kit, and you fight like a duck high on poppy seeds. If anything, you're just a burden to the Clan – and to me. You couldn't do anything for yourself if I wasn't here!" _

_The fallen apprentice was still for several heartbeats, the only movement the faint rise and fall of his sides as he breathed. Then slowly, he bent his head to lick the injury that Thornpaw had presented him with. Slower still, his gaze rose to meet his brother's, his eyes pained for just a flash before they withdrew any sign of emotion. "In the end, that's all it is, isn't it? It's always the same," Graypaw's voice came out in a quick cough, but that didn't seem to stop him. He didn't deny Thornpaw's accusations at all. Instead, "In the end, it's just strength. But all you do is claw and bite until you get what you want!" _

_Graypaw struggled to his paws, but he quickly stumbled back down into lop-sided hunter's crouch. "That's not what a warrior is at all! That's not strength! That's just violence!" Graypaw looked at him helplessly before lowering his tone. "I love you, Thornpaw. I care about you…But I hate the fact that your answer to every problem is to resolve it with force… I'm not happy being protected by someone like you!" _

"WHAT?!"

Blackshadow's earsplitting shriek broke Thorntail's wandering thoughts. More out of instinct than out of necessity, Thorntail snapped, "Would you quiet down? You're going to bring every patrol from both of our Clans right here!" And, truth be told, Thorntail had to admit that if that happened it wouldn't reflect too greatly on him. For one thing, he was the trespassing cat standing in SunningRocks so the ThunderClan warriors wouldn't appreciate his presence. And the RiverClan warriors were always concerned about where his loyalties lay, so they would throw a hissy fit if they saw him.

"That won't happen," Blackshadow promised in response to Thorntail's spoken concern. "I'm on patrol with Morninglight and Aquamist." Thorntail cocked an eyebrow, not understanding Blackshadow's point, and his friend elaborated. "They get distracted easily. I lost them way back… Morninglight saw a rabbit or something…and instead of hunting it she decided to get clever and try to follow it to its warren. Aquamist went with her," Blackshadow shrugged helplessly. "They're really loyal, and Aquamist is a fine hunter, but neither of them are too bright."

Thorntail's whiskers twitched mischievously. "You sure you should be telling an enemy warrior such precious ThunderClan secrets? Why I should go back to camp right now and tell Duststar all about ThunderClan's incompetent warriors…"

"Thorntail, you've been actively apart of every single Clan except for WindClan and StarClan..."

"I've taken most of WindClan as a mate at least once…They're sort of flimsy…And you know, a lot of my kin have passed on…I have some _solid _connections in StarClan."

Blackshadow ignored the comment, "You don't need me to tell you ThunderClan's weaknesses. You could already have told RiverClan about my irrational fear of crows and how Beakclaw gets all weird and sniffly around bees…"

Thorntail let out a purr. "I _did_ tell them about your crow fear, but I didn't even know about Beakclaw and the bees…" He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and let out a mocking devious chuckle. "This might be the perfect edge for RiverClan…all we need to do is get bees and crows to align themselves with us, distract the dumber warriors with rabbits, and we shall be victorious against ThunderClan!"

Blackshadow let out a hearty purr, even going as far as to roll on his back and expose his belly before he threw himself back on his paws, a serious look glazed in his amber eyes. "But seriously though, Thorntail," he meowed the humor gone, "I just can't believe that you're okay with everything that's happened. I mean… You say Duststar has a crush on Rosethorn?"

"He might…" Thorntail blinked. "Sometimes it's hard to tell if that cat is joking around or not…Or if he even knows that he's a Clan leader. He's sort of out there."

"It just doesn't seem like Rosethorn!" Blackshadow pressed. "I mean…I guess I understand why she had to leave ThunderClan if what you said about Flamesoul is true…"

"_If?_ Of course it's true!"

"I know, I know," Blackshadow meowed hastily. "But still, I find it hard to believe that Rosethorn would just leave everything behind. I mean, just recently, she was scared of everyone…and was always hiding in a shell like a turtle or something. And now you tell me she's running around in RiverClan, being a warrior… Do you really think she's going to be okay?"

"I don't want her to be hurt anymore than you do," Thorntail snapped, playfully cuffing his old friend over the ear with the back of his paw. He thought carefully about he should go on, how to explain all the feelings he and Rosethorn had shared since their departure. "I'm telling you Blackshadow… Rosethorn's different now. After not having to hide from anyone anymore, I feel like I understand…the Rosethorn in RiverClan is the real Rosethorn."

Blackshadow just looked at him quizzically, so Thorntail elaborated, "Well, she gets jealous over Shadenight – remember, before she was practically pushing us together? And she also makes sure that she hunts enough for the Clan. She's still getting the hang of it, but she makes sure she helps out… She gets excited…she gets sad… This is the real Rosethorn." He stared out towards the flowing river, which was glowing silver as it reflected the moonlight. "After going through that horrible thing with her mentor…she shut off a lot of her emotions since she was eight moons old. She was holding back everything that made her real. She didn't want connections, she didn't want to show weakness, and she didn't even want to let a purr escape… And now she's starting over again… In a new Clan, new cats, new…kits…" He dropped the last part dramatically, licking his chest with a touch of pride.

As expected, Blackshadow let out a yelp of surprise. "K-kits? You mean Rosethorn's having kits?"

"Well…not yet," Thorntail doubled back. "Well, it's possible with everything we've been doing…"

"You didn't need to add that."

"But right now, we just decided that we want them…to tie us together forever." Thorntail parted his jaws into a yawn. "It's great, Blackshadow. I can finally love her and protect her…and nobody says anything because we're both RiverClan warriors. We don't have to hide anything, we just live! I don't think I've ever been happier…"

Blackshadow regarded him for a heartbeat, before he finally seemed to accept what Thorntail said. "Well, I'm glad I saw you from the other side of the border and called you over. I didn't know what happened to Rosethorn… Flamesoul was injured…and I don't know…I sort of guessed that maybe they fought and…Flamesoul's so much bigger than her…I thought maybe he killed her and got rid of the bo - "

"If that happened, Flamesoul definitely wouldn't be breathing right now. If I _ever_ see that lousy excuse for a medicine cat I'll flay him for my future-kit's bedding."

Blackshadow let out a purr of amusement. "I guess that's true, knowing you. ….You know, you would've loved seeing what happened earlier in camp. Silverleaf just nailed him. The Clan didn't get it, but Silverleaf – right to Flamesoul's face – said the horrible things that Flamesoul did."

"Silverleaf knows about Rosethorn and Flamesoul?"

"Apparently. And he kept on alluding to it the whole time he was speaking. Again, the Clan didn't understand any of it, from Flamesoul looked ready to leap out of his fur and murder Silverleaf right there. I would have liked that. Maybe we would've gotten lucky and they would've killed each other."

Thorntail eyed Blackshadow carefully. "Silverleaf was in your camp? Isn't he a WindClan cat now? Why was a WindClan warrior in the ThunderClan camp?"

Blackshadow's golden eyes rounded with horror as if he just remembered that Thorntail was an enemy warrior. "Well…uh…well, you see…" Blackshadow shrugged helplessly. "It's…confidential?"

"…Oh…I see..."

"Yeah, look, Thorntail," Blackshadow looked eager to escape the awkward conversation, "I'm really glad I got to talk to you. I'll tell Applefur that Rosethorn is safe and where she is…she's been worried sick you know."

Thorntail hesitated on that comment. "Fine…but try not to tell the rest of the Clan just yet. I'd like to keep her location private for now…"

Blackshadow nodded in understanding, but raised his gaze to the moon. "It'll be full soon, you know," he pointed out. "Pretty soon ThunderClan will know where their leader's daughter went. And Streamstar will be - "

"Streamstar knows where her daughter is," Thorntail growled, unable to keep the venom out of his voice. "ThunderClan isn't going to storm over here and take their precious medicine cat back, I know this for fact. I…I'd just rather Flamesoul not know for awhile…"

"Gathering," Blackshadow reminded him calmly. "Medicine cats go to Gatherings. I admit Flamesoul is injured so he might not come, but some cat will tell him…"

Thorntail narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I don't know. Duststar's sort of forgetful, so he might not even mention that Rosethorn is here now. And I doubt Rosethorn will go… I think it'll be kept private for a little longer."

"Okay," Blackshadow's paws were stomping the ground in place, the warrior was ready to take off. "Tell Rosethorn to come to here tomorrow around sun-high. Maybe she and Applefur could meet up?"

"Patrols?"

"Streamstar has made sure we're lax on the RiverClan border…" Blackshadow's eyes rounded with horror as he spoke this, suddenly all the information clicking together. "And Rosethorn's scent is still mostly ThunderClan, so I doubt anyone will notice anything out of the ordinary if they scent her." Blackshadow eyed the moon again, still wanting to hurry back. "Look, Thorntail, I really have to go now…"

Thorntail shrugged his shoulders, his brain still wracking with the information about Silverleaf he had just acquired. (And of course the fact that Streamstar seemed to be keeping the RiverClan border unguarded. If there was ever incriminating information he could use to crucify a Clan and sweep the grounds for an invasion, he had just gotten it from Blackshadow.)

"Of course," he meowed, watching as the dark warrior disappeared through the ferns. He turned around himself to return to camp, eager to reunite with Rosethorn…and looking forward the 'Welcome back to camp' gift he expected to get from her.

Hey, they had to get the kits some way.

His thoughts were muddled and jumpy, Rosethorn occupying most of them. Her neat scarlet pelt, which now always gleamed with sleekness as it adapted to swimming (flailing) around in the water, her long curling tail which had recently started whipping through the air more often, her dainty ears which seemed to hear words underneath that which was being said, her pale blue eyes that radiated whatever emotion she was feeling as if she were standing on a pedestal for all the forest to view. The color of the bright sky, beautiful sapphire orbs…aside from the obvious feminine quality they carried, being crowned with long lashes, they were almost exactly like his…

It had been sheer coincidence, but the moment that through struck him he had just pulled himself out of the river and had the dissatisfaction of catching his reflection in the moon stained water. Sure, the cat he saw was a little larger, and the muscles were now more protruding, the fur was broken and torn with several scars along his flank, but at a quick glance…

Graywhisker had committed suicide the night of his warrior ceremony. He grew wings and flew away to StarClan carrying his rightful name.

But Graywhisker wasn't dead. He was lurking in the shadows, in the river, in his dreams…

Thorntail shook himself, simultaneously thinking that it was to shake the water from his pelt, and not to chase away those nasty thoughts. Graywhisker was dead. There was no point in padding in the past. Especially when there was a pretty scarlet she-cat waiting for him in the present, and hopefully a nursery full of his kits in the near future.

…

Blackshadow scurried up the slope, his paws winged as he practically flew from Thorntail. He was relieved to know that Rosethorn was alive and well and safe with Thorntail in RiverClan – and Applefur would squeal with joy when she found out too – but he also felt like a complete mouse-brain for giving Thorntail such valuable information.

He had realized it after the fact, but he had just told a RiverClan warrior that ThunderClan was relaxing on its border patrols. If Thorntail felt like it, he could form a proper invasion by tomorrow!

…And had Thorntail really been joking? Maybe RiverClan _did_ have bees and the heinous creatures born from the darkness…crows…under their control! If they did, then all of ThunderClan would be…

_Now you're just being silly, _Blackshadow chastised himself, slowing his pace slightly. _And besides, according to Silverleaf, RiverClan will be too occupied with ShadowClan to even consider attacking us. _Then again, he had also told Thorntail that the effeminate WindClan warrior had been in camp_. But Thorntail isn't that bright, maybe he wouldn't…_ _No, Thorntail's smart, he's just smart in a… different way. _

But Thorntail wouldn't be able to run far with the information about Silverleaf. For all he knew, Silverleaf had just rejoined the ranks of ThunderClan… And…

_Blackshadow, you're being even sillier than before. Thorntail is your best friend; he isn't going to do anything to hurt you or Thunder – _"Oof!"

Blackshadow's thoughts were broken as he found himself flying through the air as he stumbled forward, his paws caught against some furry object obstructing his path. "What in the name of StarClan?" he cried as his muzzle was shoved into the dirt, his body still overlapping the object that had made him fall. Had he just tripped over a rabbit? Or maybe some apprentice?

"Um, sorry I didn't mean too…" he stuttered, leaping off of whatever it had been and turning to face it.

Blackshadow found himself looking down at a small sleek of silver fur. "Silverleaf?" Blackshadow asked curiously, nudging the smaller tom with the back of one of his forepaws. He noticed with curiosity that the cat's fur was wet and sticky. Ignoring the fact he asked, "Are you alright?"

Silverleaf had bore the worst of Blackshadow's stumble, and seemed to have been shoved into the earth on his side. He quickly recovered and rose to his paws. "Yeah, I'm fine," the WindClan tom mewed. His leaf-green eyes glowed in the moonlight, a flicker of shock finally passing through the usual-emotionless orbs. "D-Did you trip over me?"

"Yeah…sorry?" Blackshadow stumbled over the words once more, dipping his head apologetically. As he did, he noticed with a shock at how small Silverleaf actually was. The tom had risen to his full height, only to come up to Blackshadow's shoulder.

"But that's what you get for sneaking around the forest in the middle of the night," Blackshadow pointed out hastily. "You don't have a scent to alert other cats of your presence, so…" Blackshadow had pushed his muzzle forward to sniff Silverleaf to make a point, but recoiled in shock as a tangy flavor fluttered through his nostrils. "Silverleaf, you smell like RiverClan!"

Silverleaf looked at Blackshadow like the shadowy tom had just pointed out the grass was green in Newleaf. "Um…yes, I do?"

Blackshadow felt a twinge of annoyance at the new mask that Silverleaf had put on. The absentminded warrior… Blackshadow was going to fall for it this time. "Why do you smell like RiverClan, Silverleaf? Why are you wet?" He sniffed the other cat more efficiency. As he did so, his eyes inspected the full body of the tom. His paws were smeared with some red, sticky substance… He sniffed it. "Great StarClan, Silverleaf, your paws smell like ShadowClan…blood!"

"It's really not that important," the smaller cat yawned, revealing scarlet teeth. " I went hunting. You don't ever go hunting, Blackshadow?"

Blackshadow blinked in surprise, not understanding what Silverleaf was getting at. "Isn't hunting in other Clan's territories…wrong?"

A shrug. "Don't concern yourself with it."

"What if they notice that you stole some of their prey?"

"ShadowClan is fairly efficient. I'm sure they'll notice something has been stolen from them by the time the sun rises…Actually, they might've already noticed. ShadowClan has a lot of night patrols…"

Blackshadow's whiskers twitched with confusion. Obviously Silverleaf wasn't going to give him a flat answer, so instead he allowed himself to look at Silverleaf even more carefully. On a more careful inspection, he noticed that the entirety of Silverleaf's pale mouth was stained with a crimson substance… and his forepaws weren't just sprinkled, they were _booted _by blood. "What…why…?"

"There was some vermin I had to kill up there," Silverleaf replied nonchalantly.

Blackshadow blinked. "Must've been some big vermin…"

Silverleaf started to purr like Blackshadow had said the funniest thing he had ever heard. "Huge." He looked thoughtful. "But not as big as the one I'm going to get in RiverClan tomorrow…"

Blackshadow wanted to protest with Silverleaf's crude means, but ultimately shrugged his shoulders, telling himself to stop caring what the crazed WindClan warrior did to other Clans' prey. Was his plan to steal prey from both RiverClan and ShadowClan and make them go to war? That didn't seem like enough to cause a full blown out war big enough to distract the large Clans from WindClan and ThunderClan's union, but he decided not to push the subject further. Being around a blood stained maniac from an enemy Clan was making Blackshadow uncomfortable, so he just inched around him and mewed, "Well…uh…enjoy your hunt tomorrow night, okay?"

Silverleaf let out a smug chuckle. "I'm going to enjoy it immensely."

* * *

**Well, there you have it. Again, this was just to get into the mood. And I finished it in one day. -coughLazyExcusesForTypos-cough-Next chapter... well, a lot is going to happen next chapter. Anyways, yeah, I hope you people keep reading this! But again, now I'm just writing it for myself so I can say "I FINISHED IT!!" ... Yeah. However, I would suggest rereading BRST because it's been almost a year since that ended, and obviously I'm going to be using plot threads from the prequal. If you think you're forgetting things, and want reminded... Well, it's still there. ;) Obviously I can't make you, but...you know. lol. **

**If you review, I'll give you a... **

**Pearlpaw plushie? Don't know who she is? Reread the last chapter. Nah, just kidding, but no new character appeared in this chapter, and she appeared LAST time so... lol.**

* * *


	9. Chapter 7

**I know. I know. You're thinking, "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" Well, I had to write a summer essay, and then school started, and blah, blah, blah...**

**But here's something to make up for the wait! I had slowly been working on this chapter throughout this entire time, (I mean SLOWLY) but because of the slowness, I didn't take into account how much I had written. So this chapter is over twenty-six pages long. I'M SORRY!! I know that's ridiculously long for a fanfic, and some of you will love it's length, some of you are clicking the back button right now, and some of you will probably have to chip away at this piece by piece like how I wrote it. But I will again apologize! **

**This chapter isn't the best written, but I sort of like it. Mainly because it never goes into either Rosethorn or Thorntail's point of view (which I don't think I've done before.) Instead, it goes through the eyes of at least one cat from every Clan at some point. That's right, we get to see the POV of a ShadowClan apprentice, our two favorite ThunderClan warriors, a lovable crazy WindClan cat, and an equally-crazed RiverClan cat. We get to see all the four Clans! YAY! Or boo...you might be sad. **

**I'm not going to reply to every review right now, I'm afraid, since I've been writing for awhile now and my eyes hurt, but I'll reply to some! **

**Breezella - -points- Now you are a reviewer who really made me get my bum in gear to get this chapter out! I know you don't think so since it's been a long time since you reviewed, but your review REALLY touched me. Thank you so much! **

**bekeyboo - Thanks for all the reviews! Honestly, I've forgotten what splenetic means. Look it up on dictionary dot com? I dunno.**

**feathercloud13** - **Thanks for reviewing!**

**mapleleaf - Heh heh heh! I get it! Hello! **

**The Fallen Ringmistress - Love the name, btw. ****Thanks for the review...and I'm the first to admit that I'm not good with details. Dialogue I think is my strong point...except when I start to go off on stuff that has NOTHING to do with the story, but details? Heh. Not me. xD Thanks for reviewing!**

**Ziro - I know... I took a long time to update this time too. But...I made up for it, right?! **

**Cinnamonpool - Now, don't be mean to Blackshadow! He's just an average warrior...And he's so cute...**

**-Hope- Suddenly I see - Thanks for the info on the typos! I can never catch them all! I really need a beta... xD **

**muffinheart - I'll never abandon this story, I love it too much. I admit, I really want to get it done though...so it's really hard for me to avoid rushing... **

**Squirrelflightlover - You find out what Silverleaf was talking about this time. Er...who... **

**Tawnyleaf - You happy with the length now?! xD And besides, the other chapter wasn't that short. Pretty long, actually. You people are spoiled by my insanely long chapters I say! SPOILED!! I like writing 10 page chapters, but I suck at editing, so that doesn't happen anymore...**

**The Underwater Seahorse - That was explained last chapter, but in just one simple line so you might've skimmed over it. Yes, they saw each other at the border. I think they mention it again in this chapter... **

**Silverrose82 - But Masao is really fun during volume 7! Did you read THAT at least? I love Masao... **

**Watersoul - That's right, you'll always be Watersoul to me! No, I'm not dead. I almost died from writing this chapter for so long, but I am breathing. I need a Mountain Dew though... **

**Goldenfox- Wow, no other fanfic! Thank you! And actually, I complain about Every Rose Has Its Thorns a lot, but I think it's a good sign when you can VISUALLY SEE how your improving. So that just makes me even happier, since I can see how much better I've become. And thank you very much. **

**Kante - I'm too lazy to write your whole penname. Again, this story will NEVER be forgotten. As long as people review it, I won't abandon it. I admit, if the reviews stopped popping in I'd probably forget, but as long as I know that there's at least one person out there waiting for an update, I'll keep going. **

**xx-Secrets-xx - Don't feel guilty. It happens to the best of us. Sometimes I go on strike from the internet and hide from it for weeks at a time. xD **

**Pearl.H.Sweden - No, Ebonypool hasn't had her kits yet. You'll know when Ebonypool has her kits, because that's going to be a critical chapter. **

**MushroomT- WOW!! HUGE COMPLIMENTS!! THANK YOU!! Be prepared: you are about to be hugged. -hugs- **

**mbaileym - Wow! Yeah, I say that a lot, but WOW!! Thank you SOOOOOO MUCH!! You get a cookie! -gives cookie- **

**Now for my obligatory rant about my disappointment in this chapter: I really don't like the last bit at all. And I wish that I could've gotten Silverleaf's point of view a little...creepier. But I just couldn't while still having it fit with the story. Oh, and yes, the word 'disgusting' is used in abundance particularly in Silverleaf and the RiverClan cat's point of view. That isn't an accident, it was done on purpose. Uh... I hope you like the ShadowClan character I introduced. Honestly, it was rapid character development, we'll probably see her around, but we probably won't be in her point of view again... so...if you don't like her or identify with her, calm down. It's fine, and it's acceptable. I again, I admit that the ending is rather rushed, but...that happens with me. Especially when I'm SOOO close to getting the chapter out I just zoom through... I'm sorry. This isn't my favorite chapter of all time, I kind of just like the different styles I tried to take on for different point of views (I think I failed.) and I had fun writing it, but I'm not sure if it's going to be the best chapter you've ever read. Again, I'm sorry...  
**

**But please...**

**Enjoy, **

* * *

Sapphirepaw lived to please Smokestar.

Of course, most apprentices get sincere enjoyment to hear praise from their mentor. So obviously they would try to please whoever was in charge of their training, even if it was a newly named warrior. But Sapphirepaw's desire to see pride in her mentor's eyes went far beyond that of any other apprentice in the entirety of the four Clans.

This probably stemmed from the fact that pale she-cat had been eternally grateful when Smokestar; who was, in her opinion, the wisest and strongest of all the Clan leaders, had decided to mentor the smallest, youngest and weakest of Gemstep's new litter – Sapphirepaw herself. This seemingly random act had made her mother overjoyed, her father proud, her littermates envious, and Sapphirepaw simultaneously shocked, delighted, and frightened beyond that of anything she had ever felt before.

After all, even though the ShadowClan leader hadn't had an apprentice for many seasons (Sapphirepaw heard that he hadn't taken one on since he had become the deputy!) Smokestar had decided to take the time that could be used to better ShadowClan to mentor _her_. And because he was bestowing such a great honor onto her shoulders, Sapphirepaw knew that for whatever reason, he must've had high expectations of her.

And Sapphirepaw had vowed to meet – no, _surpass_ those expectations in every regard. And so far she was fairly certain that she had succeeded. She could pin any of the other apprentices – and a few of the younger warriors – in a matter of heartbeats. She had honed her hunting skills to perfection; no prey could escape her senses unscathed. And almost all prey was detected - her tracking skills were already legendary; she could track a lost kitten even after a rainstorm had all but washed the scent away.

Sapphirepaw had made sure never to disappoint her mentor. He asked her to jump, and she wouldn't waste his valuable time to ask him how high, she would figure it out herself and would be correct every single time.

So naturally when Smokestar had asked her to find Amberpaw, who had been missing since she had gone hunting that previous evening, Sapphirepaw scanned every inch of ShadowClan territory until she found the deputy's apprentice, and her sister.

It wasn't a hard task. Amberpaw wasn't doing anything to keep from being tracked from home as she had just been hunting, and Sapphirepaw knew her home territory like the back of her forepaw. And so, inevitably, she found Amberpaw, just as Smokestar had expected she would.

And that was the first time Sapphirepaw had ever wished that she had disappointed Smokestar.

The moment her ebony eyes fell upon the brutalized red pulp that was – _what once was _– Amberpaw, the blue apprentice felt her body begin to shake, before she lost all feeling as she went numb. Her fangs crunched together, and her head snapped towards the heavens, where the warriors of Silverpelt were just starting to retreat from the sun's rays. For several heartbeats, Sapphirepaw was frozen, paralyzed at the sight of distortion that bloody corpse in front of her carried. Then, finally, the single raw emotion of terror broke free and escaped Sapphirepaw's throat in the form of a gut-wrenching scream.

She didn't know what happened next. It seemed almost as the sun never rose and instead dived back underneath the earth, and that all of Silverpelt had fled from the grotesque sight. Her world went black.

But, when the light finally began to shine again, she found her thin body lying on a blanket of moss. Sapphirepaw was briefly confused, before she remembered the past few events and –

_Amberpaw… _

The mere thought of what she had discovered made even the mouse that she had eaten earlier want to escape.

And it did.

The ShadowClan apprentice wrinkled her nose in disgust as she examined her creation. Though, admittedly she was grateful. Its horrifying appearance and smell gave her no room to think about _the broken jaw, the torn throat, the puddle of crimson, the…_ … Yeah, Sapphirepaw had no time to think about that.

Instead, she found herself wondering where she was. The scent of ShadowClan and herbs were all around her, so she wasn't afraid so that would mean logically that…

"Did you lose a meal from earlier?" a cracked, aged voice asked. A gnarled-looking black she-cat appearing into the apprentice's vision soon followed it. Sapphirepaw felt relieved to see Shadedhope, the elderly ShadowClan medicine cat. "Well, don't you worry yourself. That's what you're supposed to do in this den. I'll get Rockyheart to clean that up for you later." Rockyheart was Shadedhope's apprentice.

"Thanks, uh…" Sapphirepaw had by now pieced together that she was in the medicine cat's den. She hadn't had to come here since she had been a kit who had been showing signs of kittencough, so she hadn't recognized as fast as she could've. But that didn't explain one thing: "How'd I get here?"

Shadedhope had by now turned her back on her and was instead examining a mouse that _hadn't_ been regurgitated, clearly debating on whether or not she should eat it. "A patrol found you. Amberpaw too. Poor thing, sent to StarClan far before her time, eh?"

_Blood, pouring out of the throat, more blood than Sapphirepaw had ever seen in her life, flies resting on the still-wide, dead eyes, blood everywhere, blood on the ground, blood on the fur, blood in Sapphirepaw's mouth and _- _Please don't mention Amberpaw… _There may have been something in Sapphirepaw's eyes that implied her desires, because Shadedhope nodded. "Oh, I see, I see. I guess it makes sense you want to avoid that specific subject. You did faint at the sight of her. And then throw up when you came to consciousness. Did you enjoy that?"

Sapphirepaw's fur bristled. She knew that Shadedhope was teasing her now, but the old cat's back was turned and her voice was dead serious. And that just made it worse! "No, I didn't! And I threw up…shouldn't you be concerned? I mean, what if I'm sick?"

"Then your death will be on my claws," Shadedhope meowed dramatically peaking over her storm-cloud-colored shoulder. "Oh, stop being so paranoid. You're not sick, you just got scared and thought you were in danger, so you did what any good warrior with common sense would do, and you screamed…which was promptly followed by fainting. Then you thought of that scary thing you saw, and threw up. That's my diagnosis, take it or leave it. If you want a second opinion, go to ThunderClan and ask Flamesoul. But if you _are _sick, I'm sure such a long hike wouldn't improve your condition."

The pearly apprentice felt her jaw drop. Shadedhope was right! Fainting and barfing weren't the traits of mighty warriors! They were disgraceful, they were…disappointing! "How'd Smokestar feel about all this?!" she burst out without thinking.

"Smokestar? Oh, he's furious you know. Has his tail all tied in a knot. I don't think I've seen him angrier since he would go toe-to-toe with his own…" she trailed off here, and Sapphirepaw wondered with frustration if the old bat had completely forgotten what she was saying. But after just a moment's hesitation Shadedhope continued, "toe-to-toe with young Thorntail."

If Sapphirepaw widened her gape any more her jaw would've fallen off. She knew she had really angered Smokestar if she rivaled how Thorntail got under his skin! The single blemish on Smokestar's perfect record – a son who wasn't only prickly and not in ShadowClan, but switching Clans whenever he felt the need – had always been a touchy subject for the ShadowClan leader.

"He's…he's angry that I fainted?!"

She had disappointed her mentor! The best mentor she possibly could've had! Smokestar didn't fail her, she failed him! Smokestar was smart, he would know instantly that a cat who takes one look at a brutally mutilated corpse and faints isn't ever going to be anything more than a queen-for-life! No skills to speak of, but _darn good_ at popping kits out of her stomach! That's what Sapphirepaw was destined to do! After of course she received her obligatory warrior name under the mentor with the warrior name of 'No-brain!' And there wasn't even a warrior in the Clan with that name! She was so disgraceful that Smokestar was going to have to find a random kittypet to mentor her! A kittypet would be the only creature alive that would be immune to going insane from mentoring disgraceful Sapphirepaw!

"You're being crazy, stop that."

She nearly leaped out of her fur when Shadedhope broke her thoughts. Had Shadedhope read her mind…no, that was impossible. She was just replying to something Sapphirepaw had said earlier.

"Yes, Smokestar's angry," Shadedhope repeated, her head bobbing up and down, the wisdom she had gathered through her years probably being intensely heavy. "But not at you. Great StarClan, any leader would be angry when he finds the body of his deputy's apprentice, brutally murdered and dishonored right on ShadowClan territory."

That's right. Amberpaw had been killed right in ShadowClan territory…pretty deep in the borders, too. Sapphirepaw suddenly felt the back of her fur prickle with the sensation of being watched by whatever predator that had taken Amberpaw's life. No, that she _was_ Amberpaw, alone and powerless as she was thrown to her ruthless executioner.

The apprentice avoided thinking about that again. She wouldn't function if she were leaping at every shadow. Instead, she just allowed herself to feel relieved that Smokestar wasn't angry with her. "…And you're positive?" she asked hopefully.

"As sure as I am that the sun will rise and set," Shadedhope snorted. She finally approached the quivering apprentice, her eyes unusually sympathetic. "I've known Smokestar his whole life. Literally – I was there when he emerged from Rowanstar's tummy, and…"

Sapphirepaw's eyes rounded with awe. "You mean Smokestar's _mother_ was a Clan leader too?!"

"You're Smokestar's apprentice, and you don't even know your basic history?" Shadedhope shook her head. "Oh, ShadowClan is going to go through some dark times if this is how we're raising our young ones."

That statement made Sapphirepaw suppress a giggle. _ShadowClan? Dark times? We're the most powerful Clan in the forest! Next she's going to say we're going to make an exiled ThunderClan deputy our Clan leader because we can't find anyone else. _

"Well, why didn't he ever tell me?" Sapphirepaw asked curiously. She felt her eyes were rounding with wonder, something that would normally embarrass her, but after barfing in front of a cat there isn't much else you can do for humiliation's sake.

The medicine cat looked thoughtful, twirling her kinked tail into the air as she tried to recall her place. "He doesn't talk about her much anymore."

"Why not?"

"Rowanstar and Smokestar didn't always get along."

"They must've, if she chose him for deputy and to succeed her."

"I chose Rockyheart as my apprentice, and she'll succeed me, does that mean I get along with her? No, it doesn't. If you hadn't been brought in here earlier and given me an excuse to get away from that lazy sloth, this Clan would once again only have one medicine cat, let me tell you."

Sapphirepaw rolled her eyes. "You and Rockyheart get along fine. I've seen you."

"It's for show." Shadedhope shook her head, though there was an edge of humor in her tone. "We're getting off topic. Long story short, I've known Smokestar since before he was even a bumbling apprentice like yourself. And I _know_ he would _never _do something like hold a grudge against an innocent cat – for something as frivolous as fainting."

_"How about murder?!" _

Sapphirepaw leapt up, her heart pounding in her rib cage as she heard the booming voice from outside the den. It was followed by thunderous footsteps, but Sapphirepaw was relieved when she saw that it was just Onyxpelt, both her and Amberpaw's father.

The medicine cat eyed Onyxpelt skeptically. "What about murder? Are you trying to commit one? Because you almost gave me a heart-attack, thank you very much."

The huge black tomcat muttered a quick apology to the medicine cat, before finally being frank. "Shadedhope, talk to Smokestar. He's always listened to you."

"Okay, I will," Shadedhope rose to her paws. "I think we've been having beautiful weather out, and I'll be pleased to discuss that with him."

"That's not what I meant," Onyxpelt snapped. "Talk to him about the idiotic way he's running this Clan!"

Sapphirepaw blinked curiously, her claws instinctively released as she heard slander against her mentor and leader. But it was her father speaking, so she decided to be merciful and give him the benefit of the doubt. "W-what do you mean?"

"Oh, sorry Sapphirepaw, I didn't realize you were in here," Onyxpelt turned to her completely, as if no longer concerned with Shadedhope's presence. Then he hesitated, "How are you feeling?"

She moved a forepaw to cleverly hide his view of the mouse she created. "Fine," she meowed. "What about Smokestar?"

Onyxpelt was silent for a moment, his black fur bristling as he became uncomfortable. Finally he just charged on with his explanation. "He's a mouse-brain! You remember Amberpaw, the cat you just found?"

Shadedhope spoke up once again showing that peculiar motherly concern, "Onyxpelt, try not to remind her. Sapphirepaw is still a little shocked at the result of violence that she saw and - "

She was ignored, and Onyxpelt swept on. "I was on the patrol that found you and took you back here. But before we did, we sniffed around a bit, to find out who had done such a…_thing._ And guess what we found?" He didn't stop long enough for any cat to answer. "Traces of RiverClan! There's dampness in a clump of bushes that are, I might add, on a hill _away_ from the marshes… There's_ river reeds _scattered around the corpse and in the…uh…bushes I just mentioned. And there's RiverClan scent all over Amberpaw's body! It seems obvious to me who did it!"

"WindClan!" Shadedhope burst out, obviously throwing in some humor to make the terror in Sapphirepaw's gaze vanish. "I knew they were up to no good!"

"This is a tragedy," Onyxpelt snapped rounding on her. "How can you be so lighthearted? My daughter was just _killed_ by an enemy patrol! A RiverClan patrol!" He turned back to Sapphirepaw, no longer bothered by the old medicine cat. "_You_ know who did it, right!?"

Sapphirepaw didn't even have to think. Mostly because Onyxpelt had just told her who the perpetrators were, but also because the clues were incredibly obvious, even second-hand. Her fear washed away now that she had a name to pin onto the dark shadows she felt stalking throughout the forest. "RiverClan," she growled. "We have to attack!" she announced, leaping to her paws. "I'm ready, I am!"

"Of course you are," Onyxpelt meowed, nodding fondly. "But Smokestar isn't!"

That was enough to knock Sapphirepaw back down. "What?!"

"He doesn't want us to attack. An apprentice was killed, RiverClan attacked us! We should attack them and kill one of their apprentices! An eye for an eye!"

Sapphirepaw agreed whole-heartedly, but Shadedhope looked thoughtful. "I think his decision is a perfectly rational one. We've already been hostile to both WindClan and ThunderClan. It's best not to go to war with all the other Clans at once."

Onyxpelt snorted. "WindClan and ThunderClan wouldn't defend themselves if we charged through their camps! They're not a threat at all, while RiverClan has declared war on us!"

Shadedhope thought for a few moments, obviously the only cat in the den that was willing to think even remotely rationally. "Has Smokestar said that he isn't going to do anything about the matter?"

"He said to wait until after the Gathering if we do anything! _If we do_ _anything_!"

Sapphirepaw was shocked. That was ridiculous! He had taught her himself on how to read the actions of her enemies. And the slaying of a mere apprentice proved that RiverClan was testing their limits with ShadowClan. If Smokestar didn't strike hard and fast, there would be more killings!

But Shadedhope didn't seem bothered in the least. In fact, she had even begun to eat the non-regurgitated mouse that she had been scanning earlier. Between chews she meowed, "Smokestar's…never…been one…to dive into battle without… careful…considerations… _Mmm_, this is a good mouse." Old eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the fresh-kill. To no cat in particular she asked, "Nice and plump. Who was the cat who caught this yummy morsel do you think?"

Onyxpelt looked ready to snap the medicine cat's neck in two. If he did, Sapphirepaw wasn't entirely sure she would snitch on him. How could Shadedhope be so… nonchalant about the insanity of Smokestar's decision, and the brutality of Amberpaw's murder?!

"Amberpaw might've," Onyxpelt pointed out, digging his claws into the earth instead of the medicine cat's throat. "But she'll never be able to catch you another, I'm sure."

"Well, that's disappointing," Shadedhope meowed sadly. By now there was hardly anything left but the mouse's fur and tiny bones. "It was a good mouse. I hope it lived long enough to have many similar-tasting mouse babies for me to eat. I'm sure Sapphirepaw could catch me a few now that she's feeling better, right?"

Not sure how else to reply to a superior's demand, Sapphirepaw just stuttered, "Um…yeah, sure."

Just as Onyxpelt was about to completely lose his temper and possibly kill both the apprentice and the medicine cat another black cat entered the den. But this cat was a female, and much more slim. And even more distinguishing was the way her fur seemed to shine with a sheen that normally only RiverClan cats would have – or, as in this case, a cat that spent a lot of time grooming would have.

But the golden eyes were definitely not shining as the deputy, Ravenfeather, plopped herself down beside her warrior. "Smokestar asked me to get some poppy seeds. Apparently I need to be calmed."

That was a peculiar request, because to Sapphirepaw, the deputy looked far _too_ calm. Her slim shoulders were sagging, and the amber eyes that usually glowed with power and authority were as dim as the chances of Amberpaw ever receiving her warrior name. If anything, Ravenfeather looked exhausted and would need some pepping up. _Or just time to grieve, _Sapphirepaw thought.

"You don't need to be calmed," Onyxpelt growled to the other black cat, practically voicing Sapphirepaw's thoughts. "Any cat would be shaken to suddenly lose their apprentice! You don't need poppy seeds, you need a sweet taste of revenge!" Onyxpelt looked meaningfully at Shadedhope. "Something that she won't ever get if you don't speak to Smokestar and get him to launch and attack this _instant_!"

Before Shadedhope could input her witty reply (or carry on talking about her delicious mouse, whatever suited the old cat's fancy) Ravenfeather spoke again, her voice almost inaudible. "No."

"What?!" Sapphirepaw and Onyxpelt both rolled this word off their tongue at once, but Onyxpelt had let out a roar, drowning out Sapphirepaw's mere gasp.

"You heard me," Ravenfeather meowed, louder this time. She straightened herself up before continuing, "I will stand by Smokestar's stance."

"As a deputy should," Shadedhope spoke up from searching through her herb supplies for the poppy seeds. "It's your duty as second-in-command to support Smokestar in all his endeavors even when big brutes like Onyxpelt don't see the wisdom in it."

"Big brutes?! Shadedhope that's - "

Ravenfeather went on as if Onyxpelt hadn't even spoken. "No, it's more than that." A glow of understanding glinted in the amber irises. "I sent out the dawn patrols this morning, so I know what Smokestar is getting at."

Sapphirepaw wasn't sure that Ravenfeather was even aware of her presence, or even wanted to be bothered by a mere apprentice, but even so she asked her question. "What do the dawn patrols have to do with anything?"

Ravenfeather patiently explained. "If, as suspected, a RiverClan patrol entered our territory last night, we would have scented them. And if a patrol of ours scented RiverClan, I know they would've reported their findings to either Smokestar or me. I have faith in my warriors' skills and loyalty. They wouldn't have overlooked such a large breach in our territory."

_That does make sense, I guess… _

Onyxpelt shook his mighty head, clearly not accepting Ravenfeather's logic in the least. "RiverClan must've been planning this for a long time. They must've been spying on us for awhile – long enough to notice how apprentices seem to favor hunting at night in the Western half of the territory because it is…well, it was, thought to be one of the calmest and safest parts of the territory. We were clearly wrong but…" Onyxpelt trailed off for a few moments. "But that proves they were waiting, planning! And they came up with a plan to get into our territory unnoticed! They…they could've…could've followed the Thunderpath! That would've hidden their scent!"

The deputy shrugged. "Possible, but I'll wait until after the Gathering."

"We know RiverClan did it! Their scent, their plants…"

Ravenfeather leveled her gaze with Onyxpelt. "Even if RiverClan did murder _Amberpaw_, which I sincerely and truly doubt, I know Smokestar. So do you. He doesn't like charging into a battle unprepared. He likes stacking the odds into his favor first…" Ravenfeather trailed off, probably discouraged by Onyxpelt's baffled expression. "For example, in the battle against WindClan for how they infected us with The Blood we charged in with RiverClan and ThunderClan at our flank. In recent skirmishes against WindClan and ThunderClan we know that our numbers are superior. If ShadowClan goes into battle," Ravenfeather's eyes glinted, "we go for blood. We go for one reason and one reason alone: to come home victorious."

"Seems mouse-brained to me," Onyxpelt hissed, rising to his paws and turning away to leave. "I'm going to avenge my daughter's death!"

"You will," Ravenfeather conceded. "I'll promise you the same thing that Smokestar promised me. The cat that murdered and dishonored Amberpaw will die by ShadowClan's claws."

Onyxpelt grunted, clearly not believing a syllable and silently exited the den.

Sapphirepaw watched him go, before looking at Ravenfeather quizzically. "Well…uh…" she blinked, not quite sure how to voice her query. "If Smokestar's waiting for some advantage against RiverClan, what is it?"

"As I've said, I'm not quite convinced it was RiverClan yet," Ravenfeather admitted. "I want the cat who killed my apprentice to pay, but I want to make sure that I get the right culprit. It just seems too peculiar. RiverClan teleporting into our territory to slay oneapprentice? It's incredibly farfetched."

"If they had found a way to enter our territory without us knowing, they could've just attacked the camp," Shadedhope admitted, returning with the requested poppy seeds.

The thought of fighting the monster that had killed Amberpaw in her own camp made Sapphirepaw's stomach churn. "Well…you said that Smokestar likes fighting with the odds for him. If we wait until the Gathering, how will that change anything?"

"It might not," Ravenfeather mused. "It's a swipe in the darkness, and we might not draw blood this time, but there is definitely at least one cat in RiverClan that can tip the scale to our favor."

…

"One, two, three, _kill Hazelkit_!!"

Tawnyleaf's shrill caterwaul cut through the air like a sharpened claw. The shriek vibrated through the camp and was only drowned out by the mews of delight from the kits as they chased their denmate, Hazelkit, around the camp, shouting about how they were going to kill her – as soon as they caught her, of course. But Hazelkit didn't seem concerned as she ran, lopsided, away from the other kits, taunting them about how they were _never_ going to catch her…Though as these words left her throat she was running straight towards Shadenight's daughter, Melodykit. The ebony-pelted kitten had such a menacing look in her azure eyes that it looked as if she didn't fully understand the game and really _was_ going to kill Hazelkit.

_That would certainly make my babysitting a little more…interesting_, Tawnyleaf curled her sand-colored tail at the very thought. The fully-grown warriors of RiverClan who were entertaining themselves by watching the game unfold between them probably couldn't have been more content. Tawnyleaf however, couldn't have been more disgusted. She couldn't quite place her whisker on it, but the kits…relying on their Clan, being so weak and defenseless… it disgusted her. But she still watched. She had promised Quickfoot that she would, after all.

Melodykit was obviously the kitten with the most spunk, and the one who seemed most determined to win this silly chase-game. She was hardly a paw step behind Hazelkit, her ebony fur bristling with excitement as she kept chase. Finally, the Melodykit launched herself forward, barreling into Hazelkit and knocking her to the earth. Melodykit kept her paws neatly on Hazelkit's back with a successful pin and narrowed her eyes into slits.

Tawnyleaf's heart started to pound in her chest as she saw the cold sheen sweeping over the aqua irises. She could almost taste the emotions that must've been sweeping through the black kit's body… The disappointment of having the thrilling chase end so quickly, but the fluttering butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of having the irony taste of victory slide through her mouth as she dug her silver fangs into the flesh of her opponent, the anticipation of having the scarlet blood drip down your throat or into a warm puddle of crimson beneath your paws, followed by the satisfying feeling of immortality… _I'm alive and your not I'm alive and your not I'm alive and your not I'm alive and your not _

…Well, maybe Melodykit wasn't feeling any of those things, or even looking forward to them, because the kit quickly leapt off of the tom, sniffed to see if he was okay, and then hurried back to her comrades who were all screeching congratulations.

"Ah, Melodykit!"

Tawnyleaf nearly jumped out of her fur when she heard her leader's rumbling voice hardly a rabbit's hop away from her. She had been so enthralled in the games the kits were playing that she hadn't noticed his approach. Which was particularly odd since the tom was obviously senile and had lost any ability to stalk anyone unnoticed many seasons ago.

That made Tawnyleaf sad.

Not many things did, but looking at Duststar did. She could remember when her leader was strong and invincible. She never knew him when he was _young_, but she had been there when there was still strength and a viciousness vibrating off of every hair on his pelt heating up the air around him. Her first memory of him was when he was returning from a battle, victorious. His brown-and-gray chest had been smeared with the enemies' blood, and his eyes had been bright with the joy of battle still rushing through his veins, and a new antagonist dead.

And…now Duststar was old. Now Duststar was gnarled. Now Duststar was weak. Now Duststar was disgusting.

Duststar had been defeated. Defeated by time. It had worn away his beauty and his strength and had murdered the true Duststar. In his place was a senile, weak, disgusting tom.

Duststar's amber eyes were resting firmly on the kits, though Tawnyleaf couldn't imagine why. His vision was as frail and weak as his muscles. He probably didn't know if we watching kits playing in his camp or monsters rolling on through.

And maybe she was being morbid, but Tawnyleaf knew with his weak vision he would never notice a swift movement on her part if she were to suddenly decide to snap his neck. It wouldn't be too difficult. After all, Duststar's bones were old and brittle. It would be like crunching on a fallen leaf near the end of Leaf Fall. Just a quick _Crunch _and then it would all be over…

If Tawnyleaf ever became that way (disgusting) she'd want another cat to do away with her. She would never want to be like Duststar. She didn't want to be disgusting.

That would be…for lack of a better word, disgusting.

"Melodykit is incredibly active and peppy. She'd make a fine apprentice for any noble warrior," Duststar's voice was thoughtful as he twirled his tail through the air.

She wondered what would happen if she went through with her desires. Murdering your Clan leader is probably frowned upon, she thought, furrowing her brow sadly. She could just envision the looks the cats of RiverClan would give her. The looks of horror, betrayal, shock…

Her claws unsheathed, a purr rose into her throat. Their surprise would almost make the death that she would be sure to swiftly receive worth it all. A sensual shiver crawled down her spine like she was being caressed by a handsome tomcat. A handsome tom with powerful muscles bulging from beneath his pelt, blood dripping down his claws…

"…Who do you think would be best to mentor her?"

She was suddenly aware that Duststar had been speaking to her. He should really speak louder if he wanted a reply, she thought with a twinge of annoyance. Though then again, she backtracked with a smirk, maybe it was hard for his vocal cords to move, trapped around his weak, easily-breakable old bones and all.

(Maybe she could rip them free? Just tear them out, let them vibrate freely to the heavens above…)

Duststar looked like he wanted an answer. It would be in her best interest to put her mask on. She was just Duststar's surrogate daughter. She was just a warrior of RiverClan. A warrior of RiverClan who Duststar loved very much… A warrior of RiverClan who loved Duststar very much and would never even consider harming him, or any of her fellow warriors for such a silly reason.

_But she wanted to._

"Well, I dunno, Father," she said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes the way a dove flaps its wings. "You're a such a good leader, I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

_You wouldn't make the right decision if StarClan themselves descended from the heavens and shouted it in your ear._

"Well, actually I have made my decision already," Duststar meowed instantly, having expected her generic reply. (He probably hadn't heard it. Duststar didn't hear anything, really.) But then he hesitated, not sure how to continue. "We've been through a lot together, Tawnyleaf," he finally meowed.

_No we haven't. You weren't there when my mentor died and I had to receive my training alongside Flamesoul in ThunderClan. You weren't there at HighStones when he claimed me as his own… Well, I suppose I would've been his, if some other toms before hadn't already plowed me, huh? _

"And I admit that we had our ups and downs…"

_You _were_ there to conclude that I was harboring kits within me. It's okay for you to run around with any she-cat you desire, but if I do it… Well you _were _there to exile me, after all… Where were the ups? You never made a purr rise up my throat, never made a light shine in my eyes… Well, not for a long time anyways._

_"_Mostly ups," Tawnyleaf purred cheerfully. She scanned her mind for some particular happy memory she shared with her leader. "You were in so much pain after losing Lightsnow to the treachery of her heart you became so protective over me. You pushed me to become a medicine cat so that no tom would ever steal me from RiverClan…" Alright, so that wasn't the best memory there was considering what Duststar assumed she did when she _was_ a medicine cat, but he would have to take it or leave it.

The RiverClan leader must've recalled the exact memory that had flashed through Tawnyleaf's mind. He was quiet for several heartbeats before finally confessing, "I loved you so much, I didn't want anything to take you away from me like what happened to Lightsnow."

Tawnyleaf pictured Lightsnow in her mind. That she-cat was easily the most beautiful she-cat that ever graced the forest with her presence, no questions asked. And Tawnyleaf had communed with StarClan when she had been a medicine cat, so she could admit without guilt that _yes_, Lightsnow had been the most impressive. She had made Shadenight look like a broken, gnarled old elder…She had made Shadenight look like Duststar!

She had been a peculiar size, a mouse's width shorter than a decently sized male, yet she was taller than all of those of her fellow gender. She, like most RiverClan cats, was slightly rubenesque, but she was plump in only the places that toms liked the best. Lightsnow had had a pale grey-silver pelt, the color of the full moon. And it had sparkled with the same shine of Silverpelt in the brightest of nights. If that weren't enough, the beautifully colored fur had been as warm as the sunlight, even when wet from the river and was always as soft as a cloud. Her eyes had been a strikingly dark blue, like the sky nearing the end of night, just before the first rays of the sun appear on the horizon. And these eyes had the ability to radiate whatever the beautiful she-cat had been feeling as if she had been standing on a pedestal for all the forest to see.

And Lightsnow, if nothing else, had passed on these gorgeous irises to her sons.

Tawnyleaf had had a lot in common with Lightsnow. Both their mothers had died during or shortly after they gave birth to their children, and neither of them had any siblings. Both had loved Duststar when he had been young and strong, and both despised him when his strength withered away. And ultimately, both had fallen into the hearts of those forbidden to them.

_Lucky Lightsnow. Found a handsome, strong ShadowClan deputy who could get her away and she ran to him. Fell in love with the future leader of ShadowClan, Smokestar. Lucky, lucky kitty. She always had an escape plan, that Lightsnow. _ _With her looks, she just had to flick her tail and Smokestar would've committed a murder for her… I wonder if he did? _

"Tawnyleaf, I spoke to Hazetail…" Hazetail was Duststar's favorite mate, though the only one who had never given him healthy kits. She had also been both Lightsnow and Tawnyleaf's foster mother. "…And she thinks that there might be some hostility between us. I'd like to fix any problems we have. We've both dealt with so much sorrow in our lives. I never got to have kits with the one she-cat I loved. You had kits you weren't meant to have, only to have them taken from you by StarClan. Let's face it, Tawnyleaf, I'm old. I'm on my last life…"

"Oh, you'll live for many more moons!" Tawnyleaf purred. For once, she wasn't lying. At least not intentionally. After all, with her luck, Duststar would live to see _her _journey into StarClan.

Or _wherever_ she'd go after the things she had done.

Duststar shrugged. "No. I just spoke to Blueherb…" he lowered his voice. "Tawnyleaf, I've known this for quite some time. But because of all the…she-cats of questionable character I've rolled with…"

"I don't need to hear this," Tawnyleaf hissed. She told herself that this was because it was disgusting to think of Duststar in such a way, and not because she felt a roaring jealousy within her.

"I have some sort of illness," the leader finished, ignoring her protest. "Blueherb says that I probably won't live to see Greenleaf…" He sniffed the air, as if he was trying to taste the Greenleaf that was tumbling forward, less than a few moons away. Newleaf was in its prime, but it wouldn't last forever. _Pity I don't get to do it myself, _Tawnyleaf wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Well, I wanted to give you something."

Tawnyleaf waited for the old tom to elaborate, but when he didn't (probably thought he already did) she just asked a simple, "What?"

Duststar blinked at her, confused. When his tired old mind finally caught up with the conversation her asked, "Would you like to have Melodykit as your apprentice?"

_Yes, all I need is to have some cowardly, whining kit to look after. _"Uh…sure," she shrugged cheerfully. "I don't see any reason why not…except for the fact that I think her father, Owlpelt, will be disappointed."

"Oh, he wouldn't be nearly tough enough on her to be her mentor. What do you say?"

"Uh… there are many more experienced warriors, Duststar. Like Tigerflame and uh, Thorntail…" She trailed off here. She really couldn't think of any other strong warriors. They were all sub-par, none of them having what a true warrior needed.

_Blood flinging through the air, eyes burning, heart racing, muscles throbbing… _

"There's no cat more experienced than you. You have a fine personality suited for mentoring and leadership."

Tawnyleaf's ears pricked at Duststar's casual use of the word 'leadership'. After going on and on about he was going to die soon he suddenly tosses that word into the pond? A deputy needed to have mentored at least one cat. Was Duststar trying to imply that he was going to be so frivolous about his heir he was going to choose _her?_

"Well if that's the way things are," Tawnyleaf chose her words carefully, "then yes. I will certainly take Melodykit on as my apprentice. When's the ceremony?"

The dark leader opened his mouth to answer, but before he could a large queen, her belly round with kits brushed past him as she toddled towards the medicine cat's den.

"Fogpelt will be kitting soon," Duststar observed out loud. "I hope I get to see them born. I want to be able to at least meet all of my kits."

_If I were them, I'd stay in Fogpelt's milky belly until you were running through Silverpelt with all the pretty she-cats of the past. _

"I'm sure you will," she meowed cheerfully. "I bet you'll see Duchess' kits too."

"Duchess isn't pregnant."

"You're sure on this?" Tawnyleaf cocked an eyebrow.

Duststar's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Well, she might be."

"Well, just in case, try to sow some seeds in her before you go."

Duststar's tail flew into the air with surprise. "Could you be any more vulgar?"

"Vulgar? Oh, I can be more vulgar," she looked at him through leaf-green eyes, fluttering them slightly. She knew her part well. She was the playful daughter, cheerfully making fun of her father. "Duststar, make sure you scre- "

"Tawnyleaf," Duststar cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "Before I give you Melodykit to mentor…there is one thing that Hazetail begged me to clear up with you…"

_Hazetail? _Tawnyleaf thought with confusion, acknowledging her foster mother and Duststar's true love. _What would she want him to ask me? _

Her leader quickly answered her question. "Well, I honestly don't think it's that important… But you know Hazetail. She wants to make sure that there's nothing that could potentially bring danger to RiverClan running around out there so…"

"What would bring danger to RiverClan? We're one of the most powerful Clans in the forest, next to ShadowClan…but ShadowClan's so busy terrorizing WindClan and ThunderClan that-"

"It's about your kits," Duststar meowed. "She wanted to know for sure if they're all dead."

Tawnyleaf, she had been lying to her Clan leader this entire time. One more half-truth was no trouble. In fact, her mouth formed the words without even a feeling of guilt, without even an acknowledgment of a lie.

"Of course," she purred, curling her tail.

…

"Applefur, hurry up!" Blackshadow pawed the outside of the hollowed out log that was the medicine cat's den angrily. "It's almost sun-high!" He couldn't allow himself to elaborate any further lest there be eavesdropping cats about, but he was well aware that Applefur would know what he was referencing: it was time they go meet Rosethorn and Thorntail at the border. "W-what are you doing in there, anyways?"

He heard some ruffling on the inside, but his mate didn't reply. His patience wearing thin, the night-colored tomcat padded into the den. "Applefur?" he called, slinking underneath an overgrown pile of moss that was hanging from the top of the log.

He didn't get a formal reply, but he did hear Applefur let out an excited mew of surprise, followed by what sounded like nonsensical babbling. Following the noise, Blackshadow was soon confronted by the three cats of the den: Ebonypool, Flamesoul, and Applefur. The two she-cats were chatting back and forth excitedly, while the ginger tomcat had his back turned to them as he mixed some herbs.

"Applefur?" Blackshadow repeated, taking a paw step towards his mate.

This time she noticed. "Hiya, Blackshadow," Applefur meowed cheerfully. "Ebonypool just heard something fantastic! Tell him, Ebonypool!"

Ebonypool's eyes were bright with joy, and she was shaking with the prospect of sharing her news with yet another. "Blackshadow," she breathed, "I'm going to kit!"

Blackshadow eyed her kitten-filled belly that was nearly touching the ground beneath her paws. "I hadn't noticed?" he meowed awkwardly, not sure how to properly reply.

"No," Ebonypool shook her head, whiskers twitching. "I mean _soon_! Within this quarter moon!"

Blackshadow let out a purr of joy. "Excellent!" he chuckled. "The Clan could use more ThunderClan warriors to win back that ShadowClan territory."

Had he just imagined the flash of panic that appeared in the black queen's eyes?

He didn't have time to examine it anymore before Applefur broke in. "Yup, and let me tell you Ebonypool: you are about to go through the most painful experience of your life."

Ebonypool let out a purr of amusement. "Well, I bet that when you see your beautiful kits nestled safely against your belly it all seems worth it right?" Applefur didn't reply. "_Right?_"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Applefur rolled her eyes. But when she was finished with that, there was no mistaking the fondness in her eyes as she recalled the evening when she brought her kits into the world. "I guess,…" she seemed to recall the meeting she had with the two RiverClan cats. "Uh…well, Blackshadow and I have to go do…something… Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

At that moment, Flamesoul finished his mixture and flipped around to paw them to Ebonypool. She young queen nodded. "I'll be fine," she promised. "I'll just need to eat these and then I'll go take a nap in the nursery. I'm sort of tired." To prove her point, she parted her jaws into a soft yawn.

"Well, alright then," Applefur shrugged her shoulders. To Blackshadow she added, "Uh…let's go then?"

Blackshadow nodded, meowed a farewell to Ebonypool, and started to exit the den. But before he could leap into the sunset, a tom's voice came from behind him. "So where exactly are you two going?"

Blackshadow turned towards the source of the sound, only to see Flamesoul looking quizzically at him. Blackshadow knew he just couldn't tell him, 'Well, we're going to go meet your old apprentice that ran away and Thorntail on the RiverClan border. We'll be back before nightfall!' so he scanned his mind for a logical excuse that the medicine cat would accept.

But before he could, Applefur beat him to the punch. "What's that any of your business, Flamesoul?" she asked nonchalantly as she tossed an icy glance over her shoulder.

Flamesoul just blinked at her, as if not understanding the queen's hostility. "Well, I know you're a queen, Applefur. And I thought that maybe your time would be best spent in camp with _Baykit_."

There was a slight emphasis on Applefur's young daughter's name, and Blackshadow was reminded of how Flamesoul saved Baykit's life during the battle with ShadowClan. It had always been a touchy subject, as Applefur's loyalties were torn between her best friend and the tom that saved her kits' life.

But Applefur had nothing torn right now. "Dusktail's watching them," she meowed coolly. "There's nothing wrong about going on a quick hunt with Blackshadow."

"Of course there isn't," Flamesoul agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. Then his eyes narrowed, "But you're certainly acting as if there is."

Applefur let out an aggravated puff of air. "No, but I am acting _insulted _over the fact that I'm being questioned like I was some sort of kit! Blackshadow and I have both earned our warrior names and the right to leave camp whenever we want without being interrogated. Good day, Flamesoul."

Before any more questions could be thrown through the air Applefur stormed out of the den, hissing like an adder that had been stepped on the whole way. Ebonypool just looked confused about the entire meeting that had just unraveled before her, before she finally shrugged her shoulders and lumbered out of the den as fast as she could while being weighed down by nearly-fully-developed kits in her belly.

Blackshadow was suddenly aware that he was alone. Not being as talented at arguments – or at lying – as Applefur, he again muttered a quick "See you later," before he whipped around and rushed out of the den.

…

Applefur found herself rushing towards the RiverClan border at breakneck speed in order to contact her friend for the first time since the medicine cat had fled her birth Clan into the sanctuary by the chilling water and her mate's warm heart.

But even at her speed she was still unhappy with the shreds of information Blackshadow had offered her. She couldn't wait for Thorntail and Rosethorn to fill in the blanks themselves, she wanted all there was to know now. "So, how did Thorntail look when you spoke to him?!" she asked her mate who was puffing beside her.

"Wet," Blackshadow answered tersely, clearly unable to have a decent conversation as he charged through the forest. "Applefur, you can just ask Thorntail how he is when we - "

"How did you end up meeting him anyway?!"

"Thorntail? I was just by the border, saw him opposite, and called him over."

Applefur banked that fact, but instantly discarded it, as it did nothing to feed her rabid hunger for any solid news of Rosethorn. Her eyes strayed towards the sky in order to check the sun's position. She let out a yelp. "Yikes!!" she cried, urging her muscles to bunch and lunge faster. "Blackshadow, it's past sun high!"

"Is it? Oh, well, not by much, I'm sure-"

Blackshadow notoriously spoke unacceptably slow when Applefur was in a hurry. And it seemed to happen only when she was in a hurry. "Blackshadow, this is serious! If Rosethorn and Thorntail got bored of waiting for us and left - "

"Wha? Well… I can't see Rosethorn just abandoning the plan! And if she does, then it'll be your fault for dawdling so long with Ebonypool!"

"I had promised to be there with Ebonypool yesterday! You should've told me about the meeting before then!"

"How was I supposed to know I'd meet Thorntail on the border?! What, along with the magical power toms are supposed to have to read a she-cat's mind, we're supposed to be able to see the _future_!?"

Applefur was so heated with fury she wouldn't have told Blackshadow about the blockage in front of him if she had seen it. And Blackshadow had been so heated with fury, he hadn't noticed the silver puffball either. Consequently, just like the night before, the black tomcat stumbled forward and was knocked flat on his stomach with his long legs sprawled out around him.

Applefur hadn't noticed for a few heartbeats and had carried on the argument, "Well, Blackshadow, tomcats are so arrogant that at times they act like they can do all of the impossibilities that you just listed, so it is perfectly natural for a she-cat to start to believe…" she could no longer hear his pounding paws beside her. She stopped and looked behind her, "Blackshadow?"

Blackshadow was lying on the earth, his gold-flecked eyes staring at another cat laying on the ground just a tail length away.

"I'm going to have to request that you try not to make a habit of doing that," Silverleaf grunted, rising back onto his paws. "It's uncomfortable for the both of us…" An uncharacteristic look of concern spread across Silverleaf's fine features when the ThunderClan warrior did not stand back up. "…Are you alright?"

Blackshadow looked over Silverleaf from head to tail-tip before finally following suit. He let out a soft chuckle, "Uh…yeah, I'm fine. Just stop being where I happen to be running…Alright?"

Silverleaf allowed a purr to escape him. "Well, I'm not in WindClan territory right now, so I didn't really expect to be run over by someone in a mad dash."

Applefur's jaw dropped. Silverleaf had a tone of humor in his voice. She hadn't really seen Silverleaf so chipper since he had been an apprentice. Maybe he was just in a good mood?

Blackshadow shrugged. "Um…yeah, I'm sorry about that. It's broad daylight, I guess I should've seen you this time."

_…This time?! _How often was her mate tripping over Silverleaf?! She had to admit, tripping over WindClan warriors was certainly an issue, specifically when one is tripping over psychotic WindClan warriors.

Silverleaf mewed an agreement as he flicked his tail against his muzzle and began to give it a quiet wash. Applefur had never really gotten to see his injured tail, which had been given to Silverleaf courtesy of Thorntail, but now the entire pretty picture was laid out for her view.

Part of the tail, at least the size of a very large beetle, had been jaggedly torn off. No pearly fur was growing on the very edge; instead it was just skin a shade of burgundy like dried blood, or a hardened scab. And even away from the tip there were more streams of the dry burgundy color buzzing around the injury like tree roots.  
Silverleaf suddenly spoke up, "I would've heard you coming, but I had been tracking a rabbit. It's gone now though…"

"I see you cleaned yourself off from last night," Blackshadow observed not commenting on the rabbit. Applefur glared at him. He had told her nothing about any meeting with Silverleaf, let alone the need for Silverleaf to…clean up.

But Silverleaf had a perfectly good idea of what Blackshadow was referencing. "Yeah, took all morning though."

"You mentioned that you were going to hunt something again today… Did you yet?"

"Not my desired prey yet, no," Silverleaf shook his head. "I caught a squirrel though. I buried it back there," he jerked what was left of his tail lazily over his shoulder. "I guess I take it to the ThunderClan camp…? I wasn't there for any announcements of how we're handling prey. It makes sense for me to take it to the ThunderClan camp, but I'm not entirely positive."

"You shouldn't be hunting ThunderClan prey if you don't know what to do with it!" Applefur snapped, unable to contain herself any longer. "I don't recall anyone saying that WindClan could steal any of our prey!"

Silverleaf wasn't bothered by her outburst. "I didn't _steal_ it, because I'm going to be taking it to your camp. But I think it's kind of perquisite we allow ourselves to eat some of ThunderClan's prey since a few of us, myself included, are going to be staying in the camp for quite some time, and it would just be silly to trek all the way to WindClan territory and then come back just to eat…And it's not like ThunderClan needs all of it. You're so tiny now."

Applefur wanted to rip Silverleaf's tongue out for his slander against ThunderClan's size. As if a WindClan warrior had any right to insult the low population! Great StarClan, Silverleaf was the only tomcat in the entirety of WindClan! WindClan was about to die off, and he mocks ThunderClan?!  
"Yeah, and besides Applefur, WindClan and ThunderClan are helping each other now," Blackshadow added treacherously, not hearing the insult and digging a thorn straight into Applefur's heart. "We're going to be hunting in WindClan territory, they hunt in ours and we just help one another get stronger."

"Even more than all of that," Silverleaf went on with a nod of thanks to Blackshadow, "the squirrel I caught was an injured one, lying with a broken leg far from any decent cover. It was…_disgusting_," the single WindClan tom wrinkled his nose with distaste. "Instinct tells you that if you see an easy kill, you should just lunge for it and put it out of its misery. Right?"

Applefur felt a dozen centipedes and thousands of legs crawl down her spine as those words rang into the air.

"Uh…yeah," Blackshadow sounded – at last! – slightly disturbed by the effeminate tom's words. "Well, Applefur and I have to be going…"

"To the place you were rushing towards at full speed?"

"That's right," Blackshadow glanced at the sky, finally as worried about the sun's location as his mate. He started to inch around the pale tomcat.

But Silverleaf spoke up with another question, "And where might that be?"

"None of your business!" Applefur snapped. She was growing tired of every _evil _cat and his fresh-kill asking where two grown ThunderClan cats were going! Before Silverleaf could reply she took off once more, leaving the two confused toms in her dust.

Well, half of them.

It was a few heartbeats before Blackshadow caught up, looking at her like she had grown a second tail out of her forehead. "Great StarClan Applefur! Why don't you just walk out of the forest shouting at the top of your lungs that you're going to go break the Warrior Code! You're acting so suspicious!"

"_Suspicious?!…_If nearly drawing blood from another queen to get her to watch my kits, throwing a temper tantrum in front of the medicine cat, snapping at Clan allies for no good reason, and charging at a ridiculous speed towards a rival Clan's border is suspicious than I don't know what…" Applefur couldn't finish that sentence without breaking up her words with involuntary purrs.

Blackshadow didn't slow his pace, but did allow his amber eyes to slide to the side of his head to give his mate a disturbed glance. "You…you got into a fight with one of the other queens?"

"Just an argument."

"…An argument that almost drew blood."

"Well, it might've drawn blood. I'm not entirely sure. Didn't look back to check."

Blackshadow couldn't reply to that one. Instead he asked, "Well…which queen was it?"

"Sandpelt."

"Sandpelt's the deputy!"

"Glad you know your Clan's hierchy!" Applefur purred, widening her eyes for effect.

Blackshadow gave her a scathing glance but didn't reply. The rest of their journey was silent except for the sound of their paws pounding against the earth.

When they finally got to SunningRocks Blackshadow finally spoke up. "Streamstar. Applefur, do you see Thorntail or Rosethorn around?"

"Nope can't scent them either," Applefur ignored the anxiety that was tearing into her. Where were they? Had they really gotten tired of waiting and left? She scanned the looming boulders' shadows hoping that her friends were hiding in the darkness. They weren't, and Applefur knew in her heart that it was ridiculous to look; if they were there she would've scented them…

Hey, wait…

She couldn't scent them. At all. Well, there were some stale scents from who knows when, but she could also smell Beakclaw, Icepelt, Ebonypool, Gingerpaw, Shrewtail, pretty much every cat ever to call themselves ThunderClan including Iriskit – Iriskit?! Her surrogate daughter?!

"When was Iriskit here?!"

Blackshadow sniffed the air. "From the stale scent…awhile ago."

"W-how?! Wasn't anybody watching her?!"

"Well, considering you get other queens to watch your kits by clawing them until they submit…" Blackshadow trailed off, discouraged from the blue fire he must've seen burning in Applefur's irises. "Anyways, we should probably - "

The warrior's words were drowned out by a mighty splash from the river. Applefur almost completely forgot about Blackshadow's existence and rushed towards the edge.

SunningRocks curiously also doubled as a cliff. As Applefur came to the edge of ThunderClan's territory she also came to the edge of a very great fall into the river below. The waters crashed against the wall defending the territory along with several protruding boulders that stuck their heads out from the river as if desperately gasping for air. Applefur suddenly felt wheezy looking down and was reminded of how Rosethorn informed her how Silverleaf had ordered her to jump into the river from the point at which she was now standing. Applefur knew that the current was far too powerful for any ThunderClan cat to endure and that if she were to stumble right now her ginger body would be slammed against the boulders and sent to StarClan in a matter of moments.

This was probably why the two visiting RiverClan cats did not climb into ThunderClan territory from that absurdly dangerous point. Instead, Applefur saw two blurbs – one scarlet, one grey – swim beneath the current towards a more gradual slope several tree-falls away. Applefur squeaked with joy pinning names on the blobs immediately and promptly scurried those tree-falls to meet her long (a few nights) lost (she had known exactly where they were nearly this whole time) friends (one of whom she had taken as a mate for one night and the other she had tried to scar beyond repair.)

"Thorntail!" she purred as he clambered onto the sandy territory. The large tomcat didn't reply right away and instead opted to shake some of the water that was too-slowly slinking off of his sleek pelt.

Some of it got on her fur.

Her joy at seeing him suddenly turned into rage. "You moronic mouse-brain! You got me wet! Get out of ThunderClan territory this instant you wet River-rat!"

She was only half joking.

"Uh…hello Applefur?"

The ThunderClan queen had been so busy scolding Thorntail that she hadn't even noticed Rosethorn reenter her old territory. She forgot about her wet pelt and Thorntail and focused all of her attention on her friend.

She was quite surprised at what she saw.

The weak Rosepaw, who had possessed the scarlet body with her ghost was now dead. Rosethorn had slaughtered her.

Rosethorn finally sat before Applefur for the very first time.

The former medicine cat's pelt was sleek and shiny, like all RiverClan cats. It caught the sunlight and made its glow dance along her back, each hair resting perfectly in place. She sat up tall and straight, not slouching, not cringing, just staring Applefur cleanly in the eye, with her own pair.

And Rosethorn's eyes were what had changed the most spectacularly. There was no trace of the haunted shadows that once stalked within the irises. What had used to be dull stones were now glowing sapphires filled with the joy that had long since been denied to them.

Rosethorn had been plain before. Never ugly, no, but never anything special.

But now Rosethorn was beautiful. For Rosethorn had the look of a victor, the look of a warrior after tackling her greatest foe.

Applefur finally saw what Thorntail did when he had first started padding after his true love.

Rosethorn shifted uncomfortably. "Um…Applefur? Why are you looking at me like that…?"

Applefur blinked her plain blue eyes, confused. "You look…"

"Beautiful!" Blackshadow spoke without thinking.

He was promptly cuffed on the ear. Applefur looked around, pretending to be completely unaware that it was her paw that flew into the air and walloped her mate.

Rosethorn just looked completely confused obviously not noticing the power that had suddenly been tossed into her paws. Thorntail looked equally baffled, possibly having seen Rosethorn as she was now for the entirety of forever, but he also had a mixture of pride and protection bustling fighting for dominance as well.

Sort of like a father. Which reminded her.

"So, when are you two having kits?!"

_Xx-Obsessions-xX_

Once he was quite positive that the odd couple were long gone and distracted by their obviously-unlawful meeting, Silverleaf observed the proximity of the Northern border with RiverClan with an excited air about him, his scarred tail cutting through the air like a claw.

He had been surprised at how easy it had been to sneak into ShadowClan territory. Apparently Smokestar deemed it appropriate that bumbling, clunky warriors guarded his borders at predictable times every day. The same time as always, even when Silverleaf had called himself ShadowClan.

It couldn't have gone over more beautifully if Silverleaf had carefully planned it as much as he had Goldclaw's murder. He had committed the kill under the protective blanket of darkness, deep within ShadowClan territory – where, Silverleaf knew from when he had been an apprentice himself, nobody but the mentored ever wandered.

They had probably already found the body of his victim. (The victim, disgustingly weak until beautifully murdered in cold blood.) They should've, Silverleaf had made no attempt to keep it hidden. But he was already safely behind ThunderClan's borders – and was about to trespass into RiverClan.

Silverleaf couldn't fully explain it, but he felt unusually perky. Energetic, _refreshed. _While when he had killed Goldclaw it had been exhilarating, Silverleaf somehow felt a warm sensation at the thought that this murder hadn't been in self-defense. It was a choice between living and dying when Silverleaf had slain his mentor. But he had had the choice _not _to kill that small apprentice. It had been a choice that he was free to make, and he relished the ultimate decision he had made.

He just wished he had someone to brag to. But that wasn't going to happen soon, until he found another cat that enjoyed the mortality of others just as much as he.

Pale green eyes looked melancholy over his shoulder, where he clearly heard Thorntail and those other three playing around – thinking they had been secretive.

_You are all missing out on so much, _he thought glumly. He had an urge in his limbs to pad back towards them, and give into his desires and describe everything to Thorntail in detail. But as long as his kindled spirit was Rosethorn's kittypet, that wasn't going to happen. Pity.

A disturbing thought buzzed through Silverleaf's mind so fast that he hardly noticed it.

…But I waned you to wait for me, dearest Rosethorn.

Logically, to free Thorntail from his imprisonment, Silverleaf would have to slay the jailer.

It was sad that Rosethorn of all cats couldn't understand the simplest of all emotions. After all, Silverleaf greatly respected Thorntail, the cat he would kill to be, but he loved Rosethorn.

It was disgusting that Rosethorn couldn't realize that the deepest of all bonds, the most powerful of all, was that which lies between the victim and her murderer. After all, a cat can take one partner and then fall into the paws of another, and another, and then never give her first lover another even fleeting thought, exiled from her mind forever.

But for each victim, there is only one murderer.

It was beautiful. Silverleaf could kill two birds with one swipe, figuratively speaking. He would free Thorntail from those ethics that tied him down, and yet at the same time absorb Rosethorn within himself, making her one with him. Forever.

…

Two birds with one swipe.

She's a lovely little birdie, nice and soft, red fur like pulsing blood tumbling all over her body. You are so gentle and kind and lovely, and I wonder how your skin feels beneath your pelt (pulsing, fangs in your neck, claws digging, listening to your final heartbeats, deep and primitive, Ba-bum, Ba-bum, Ba-bum… See your gentle eyes and realize that your body must be was weak and fragile as you are and so neat and easy to break, like I once was.

If he had killed her, she would've been his. They would've been joined eternally by blood, and he would've had every moment blazed inside of him forever. Her kindness, her scars, her sympathy, her terror, her eyes that glow so bright with adrenaline before fading, fading, fading, never to light up again…

Sadly, Silverleaf knew that he couldn't do anything to any of them quite yet. Rosethorn wasn't beloved to RiverClan, they wouldn't think twice about her as a victim, so he would essentially fail in his mission. And he couldn't dawdle much longer. He was a WindClan warrior after all. He had a duty to his Clan to make sure that they survived.

…

Silverleaf had to admit, when he thought about it like that, his perkiness faded away.

Well, he'd do something different this time. It was in broad daylight, and it was sun-high… The odds were against him.

The thought at being able to put his creative mind against the claws of every RiverClan warrior did nothing if not exhilarate him.

So, he turned and calmly unburied the small scalp of flesh that he had taken from Amberpaw's corpse the night before. (Well, she hadn't exactly been a corpse at the time.) I smelled exactly like ShadowClan, and was even lightly covered with some swamp water…

As he rubbed it onto his body, he got almost as much pleasure as he had the night before when he had killed her.

_…Tawny-Silver…_

Tawnyleaf had to admit, once she had left the camp of the violent kittens, her cheerful demeanor faded away.

"I'm sure that you'll make a fine mentor for my daughter."

Owlpelt's voice quite literally went through Tawnyleaf's right ear and out her left. She really couldn't be bothered with the small brown tomcat. He was weak and annoying, and dang it if he really wanted her to hear what he was saying he should speak louder. Did StarClan even give him strong enough vocal cords to communicate? Half the time his voice was so raspy it sounded to Tawnyleaf like he had a mouse wedged in his throat.

"Sure, Owlpelt, I'm honored," she meowed, her voice taking control knowing instantly that a perky tone would be appropriate. It was a wonderful skill she had, she could carry on an excellent conversation without ever really listening to what the other cat said.

And, again, Tawnyleaf reminded herself, Owlpelt didn't deserve to be heard.

In order to thank Tawnyleaf for watching Melodykit, Owlpelt decided to escort Tawnyleaf around the territory in a cross-breed of a relaxing stroll and a hunt. Not that Tawnyleaf needed to be babysat, she had been the babysitter for StarClan's sake, but the tom was just trying to be nice.

And it was because of that fact, that Tawnyleaf instantly pegged him as unintelligent. She hadn't had much time to really get to know Owlpelt. He had been a tiny kit when she had left the Clan, and when she returned he had already grown into a full-fledged warrior. But she did know that he was one of Thorntail's old apprentice buddies, so she had assumed that Owlpelt wasn't complete rubbish.

But she was, like everyone else, imperfect. It went without saying that every once in awhile she would make a mistake and overestimate a cat's worth.

Still, now that she had Owlpelt's personality down pat, she decided that she might as well use it to her advantage. Her meticulous mind tried its darndest to come up with a scenario where a plain, weak, stupid, unskilled, unrespected _disgusting_ warrior would ever be of any use to her. It failed.

"Fox-dung," she muttered to herself in reply to her own thoughts.

Owlpelt heard her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Nothing," Tawnyleaf retreated. She was bored now, and really wanted to ditch the brown tom and go do something more fun, but she really couldn't think about any possibilities. Thorntail had disappeared after the apprentice ceremony.

"Worrying about your new apprentice I wonder?" Owlpelt asked, trying to make conversation. "Don't worry, it's not your fault that Listeningecho decided to assess her before her training to check on her natural abilities. I bet it's just new protocol. It's not that Listeningecho doesn't think that you'll be a bad mentor it's just that…"

_Listeningecho thinks I'll be a bad mentor, _Tawnyleaf finished the sentence mentally when Owlpelt trailed off. The deputy never assessed apprentices before their mentor even got to say, 'Hey, my name's Tawnyleaf.' Listeningecho was warning Melodykit – sorry, Melody_paw _– about Tawnyleaf. Probably trying to make it so that the little ebony apprentice would have to check back with the deputy every chance she got.

But Tawnyleaf had to admit that she respected Listeningecho. That female didn't sweat the small stuff, and was unusually frank with everyone. She didn't hide behind a mask, and that was, if nothing else, Listeningecho's most respectable quality.

Listeningecho was hopelessly noble and honorable, and would die to protect the warrior code. These traits would usually make Tawnyleaf wrinkle her nose, because most cats just said they would die for their Clan because that was what was expected of them. If they said anything else, they'd become, in the most literal sense, outcasts.

But Listeningecho truly believed in that mumbo-jumbo about how StarClan would protect them until the end of time, and how StarClan _is _protecting them, and how they aren't just a bunch of grumpy cats in the sky that couldn't care less if an innocent kit lives or dies, if a mother loves them or sacrifices them in StarClan's name just to…

"Hey, are you okay, Tawnyleaf?" Owlpelt asked, concerned. The brown tom's yellow eyes were wide and curious, and staring straight at her – he hardly even noticed when he stepped in some dirt that a careless apprentice had left out in the middle of nowhere.

"I'm fine," Tawnyleaf sighed, twitching one of her ears as if a fly was worrying it.

Maybe there was something in her tone, because Owlpelt let it drop and just padded alongside her in silence.

Tawnyleaf eyed him. Owlpelt was tinier than even most WindClan cats, and she couldn't help but wonder if his mother had taken on some of Duststar's flaky qualities. Not that Tawnyleaf had any right to judge _but great StarClan_, it couldn't be natural for a full-fledged RiverClan warrior to be so small that he probably had to worry about being eaten by squirrels!

And the way he_ walked. _Tawnyleaf didn't like to consider herself judgmental, for the love of Silverpelt _no_, but she hadn't seen a cat walk more lopsided and clumsily since she had watched her first litter of kits first learn to walk. Was it wrong for Tawnyleaf to have a desire to push him over? He was so unbalanced; it probably wouldn't be far too difficult…

It was the sort of temptation one should ignore, but Tawnyleaf was bored. And she wanted to see how Owlpelt would react if…

"Oops!" she pretended to stumble over one of her own paws, and instantly began to mockingly fall onto her side. She was able to catch herself before she landed onto the ground, but the energy had created a domino-effect and the tiny tom was in the dust.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she didn't even try to hide her amusement as she saw his only good feature, his flawless tabby pelt, become covered from tail-tip to nose with dust. "…Should I call you Duststar from now one?" she asked mockingly.

Owlpelt seemed bewildered, but clearly didn't understand what she had just did. He was back on his paws in and instant, and continued padding along. "Oh, that's okay!" he purred cheerfully. "Accidents happen! Maybe I should take a quick dive into the river to get cleaned off?"

The golden she-cat just stopped in her tracks, and stared blankly at the warrior for a few heartbeats. Was he joking?! He was just going to laugh it off? She hadn't really wanted him to attack her, but she expected him to be miffed… She was a she-cat and she had just, for no reason other than she had wanted to, knocked him down! Even if it had been an accident, he should've been throwing a fit!

What a pushover! If that was what passed for a warrior these days… A weak, mousy, cowardly,_ disgusting _tomcat that didn't react even when he had been clearly made a fool of. Whatever happened to an eye for an eye? Why wasn't she covered with dust now?! Was he really so idiotic that he didn't catch her obvious display of superiority? Didn't that make him worry about his manhood?!

"Owlpelt! Tawnyleaf!"

Tawnyleaf had been about to more obviously knock him over again, but before she could she heard a mighty caterwaul from a small distance away. She pricked her ears and turned her head to see _Melodypaw_ charging towards them, Serpentpelt, Wavepaw, and Tigerflame right at her shoulder.

The apprentice stumbled to a halt in front of the two warriors, her eyes wild and enraged. She was having trouble forming the proper words, but she didn't have to. Tigerflame stepped forward: "We've been invaded by ShadowClan!" she hissed.

That was certainly surprising. And curiously random. But it gave Tawnyleaf an excuse to unsheathe her claws, her tummy suddenly rumbling with excitement. Finally, something to do! "Where are they?" she asked excitedly.

"Is Melodypaw alright?!" Owlpelt asked, already fawning over the young apprentice.

"I checked her over, she's fine," Wavepaw meowed shakily, reminding Tawnyleaf of his interest in medicines. "But…"

"Wait," Owlpelt meowed suddenly, "Listeningecho was assessing her natural abilities, wasn't she? Where's Listeningecho?"

"We found Melodypaw stumbling around on her own while we were hunting…" Tigerflame began, but trailed off. (It was a pity. Physically, Tigerflame was so strong, too…)

"Where's Listeningecho?" Owlpelt repeated.

Serpentpelt was for once, dead serious. "She's dead."

It was an incredibly blunt way of saying it, but the short, quirky she-cat calmly rolled the syllables off of her tongue.

Was it wrong for Tawnyleaf to suddenly think of nothing but the promise Duststar had made earlier that day to her? Wrong for her to feel sudden warmth between her back legs? Great StarClan, she _was excited!_

And Tawnyleaf respectfully returned Serpentpelt's frankness with some of her own. "I want to see the body."

She expected some cat to question her, but each and every one of the warriors was so panicked at the thought of the deputy who had just given them orders that morning already gone that they were just content to have somebody give them something to do.

It really wasn't too far off. The hunting patrol of warriors led Tawnyleaf and Owlpelt almost to the very border of FourTrees, just inside RiverClan territory. Viridian bushes dotted the area, and the wind blew strong, making the grass ripple with a white wave.

"Well, where is it- "

Tawnyleaf broke off instantly as her emerald eyes finally rested on the corpse. It was lying neatly in the open, just under the shade of a bush, the pale fur being quietly blown by the wind.

Other than that, there was no movement.

The former RiverClan medicine cat neatly padded over to the body, and examined it with morbid curiosity.

The deputy was dead; there was no doubt behind that. The eyes were misty and glazed, and her mouth was just parted slightly in bewilderment. The murder had been beautifully done. There were absolutely no wounds anywhere except in her neck… which had been so excellently torn open that just looking at it gave Tawnyleaf a sore throat.

It looked like the attack had sprung out from a hiding place in surprise, and had dug his fangs into the vein of the deputy's throat…and had never wasted the time to properly remove them. Instead, he tore them out while he ran full speed, taking some of the meaty flesh along with him.

Tawnyleaf imagined the scene in her mind.

Her heart pounding as she lay in wait for her prey…and then suddenly stopping as the queen bee rose from the hive. Her muscles roared with strength and she charged forward so fast that the other cat didn't even have time to defend herself. She had enough time to kill Listeningecho twice before any claws would even be unsheathed, and by then she was racing back home, power and control flooding into her veins.

Tawnyleaf wished she had been there!

"What happened?" Owlpelt asked, shock dripping from every word in his voice.

_Yes! Yes! What happened! I want to hear this tale! _

Melodypaw's sky-blue eyes clouded, and she looked down at her paws, not speaking.

Tigerflame looked at her sympathetically, and Tawnyleaf, being impatient, wanted the killer to come back and tell her the story himself. It would be so fascinating, and she would love to speak with the expert.

"Melodypaw told us everything," Tigerflame breathed, the mighty ginger tom's voice strained. "Listeningecho was going to show her something at FourTrees, but they stopped for a short moment because Melodypaw was tired. Melodypaw says that she didn't see what exactly happened, just that there was the sound of skin being torn before…"

Melodypaw whimpered, but Tigerflame trudged forward.

"The assassin took off, not even bothering to toss a passing glance at his victim. Melodypaw got a good look at him fleeing and apparently it was a silver she-cat."

Tawnyleaf's ears pricked at that. A silver…_she-cat?_ "How silver?" she asked suddenly.

Melodypaw squeaked, and looked up at Tawnyleaf with horrified eyes. "W-What do you mean?"

"There are many different tones of silver. Was it closer to black, or closer to white?"

"It was very pale. Almost white, I guess… I…I didn't get a very good look at it…" Melodypaw, the weakling that she was, started to convulse into hysterical sobs. Owlpelt started to tend to her instantly, but Tawnyleaf just examined the corpse thoughtfully, not even bothering to reprimand her new apprentice for not being callous enough.

She was _impressed_. And overjoyed.

There was a cat in the forest that wasn't as weak and fragile as all the other warriors in the Clan.

"I smell ShadowClan," Tigerflame meowed suddenly, the scent finally registering as it wafted into his nose.

"I do too. Clear as day. So ShadowClan did it," Serpentpelt hissed, swiping her claws in the air as if she saw Smokestar materializing right in front of her. "Makes sense. An assassin to kill our deputy? I say we go and attack them right now!"

"That sounds like one of Smokestar's warriors alright," Wavepaw snarled. He was clearly ready to go and rip out the throat of the perpetrator, and what he said next made her even more thrilled: "This just happened, right? If we start going after them now, we could catch the very cat that killed her."

While Tawnyleaf admitted that that would certainly give her something to do, but against her principles she suddenly let out a mew of distaste. "No," she growled. "We can't do that."

Every cat looked at her quizzically, and waited patiently for her to back up her claim. Considering she had just said that out of sheer instinct, it took her a moment to pull something out of her tush. "Duststar," she finally gave them. "Duststar deserves to know what happened to his deputy."

"That's true," Tigerflame conceded.

_Wow, that actually worked. _

"Serpentpelt," he growled to the short warrior. "Take Melodypaw and go back to camp. Tell Duststar that ShadowClan has invaded and killed Listeningecho. I'm sure he'll come up with something…" he trailed off there.

Tawnyleaf watched the two cats leave, but couldn't help but feel Wavepaw's cold blue gaze baring into her side. "What?" she hissed after several moments of failed attempted ignorance.

"Why did you make us wait for Duststar? The killer will get away now…" It was obvious from the way he was kneading the ground with his paws that he wanted to take off right now. In fact, knowing Wavepaw's personality, Tawnyleaf had no doubt in her mind that he would've gone if his mentor wasn't present.

She honestly didn't want to answer that question, so and she was about to just spurt out some lie about the warrior code, and Duststar's right to know, and probably some other fox-dung. But she didn't have to. StarClan finally lifted a paw to save her from some suffering, and instead, there was a soft growl from no further than three-tail-lengths away.

"Oh trust me, the killer won't get away…"

Tawnyleaf turned towards the sound to see a big, brutish, black tomcat with burning orange eyes emerge from a small thicket of bushes. He wasn't alone. Several of his ShadowClan buddies flanked him, all equally big, brutish, and angry.

"Wow, ShadowClan actually _did_ invade," Tawnyleaf uttered, shocked. She unsheathed her claws, ready to spring the moment one of them came in range.

Looked like she was going to have fun. This day wasn't going to be boring after all!

"You're dang right this is an invasion!" The ebony tom growled, clearly even more annoyed by Tawnyleaf's calm assessment of his arrival. "My name is Onyxpelt. And one of you future-pieces-of-crowfood killed my daughter. Prepare to die!"

"Blunt, aren't we?" Tawnyleaf asked Tigerflame casually, counting the cats at Onyxpelt's flank. There was a pale grey she-cat that she recognized as the poorly dubbed Whitesky, a dark brown tabby, another tabby but ginger, a black-and-white female, Marshclaw, and some other cats that Tawnyleaf didn't pay much attention too, until she saw Stormpool. Pale, silver, she-cat…

The RiverClan cats noticed her too. In fact, they didn't even listen to Onyxpelt's rant, or charge onto their attackers and instinct was probably was shouting at them to do. Instead, Tigerflame suddenly hissed, "That's who Melodypaw saw!" and jabbed his mighty head towards the she-cat.

That was when it happened. Wavepaw rushed forward first, and the ShadowClan cats met him head on. His allies followed the RiverClan apprentice, and the fur began to fly.

As Tawnyleaf dug her fangs into the scruff of the silver cat who she apparently had an obligation to murder, she couldn't help but hear Tigerflame shout: "Wavepaw! Go follow Serpentpelt and Melodypaw! Bring Serpentpelt back, send Melodypaw for reinforcements instead!"

Tawnyleaf found herself not enjoying the rush of battle nearly as much as she should've, because something was just bugging her like a thorn in her side. Now, admittedly, there were claws being slashed against her side, but that wasn't what was irking her.

Something told her that it wasn't ShadowClan who had killed Listeningecho. It certainly seemed that way from the patrol that they had just encountered, but Tawnyleaf had quite literally been intimately involved with ShadowClan in the past. They were the type who would've gloated about the murder of the RiverClan deputy before anything else. Onyxpelt was clearly sore over some old wound when a RiverClan cat killed his daughter probably some fifty seasons ago, so you'd think he'd tell the cats that Listeningecho deserved it…or some ShadowClan taunt.

And besides, from the looks of the exhaustion the ShadowClan cats were already exhibiting, they had just gotten to the scene. They had come from the camp and hadn't predicted to meet some RiverClan cats so early.

And the murder… It was far too obvious, as if making a statement. And the way the corpse was, the perfect cut, the obvious surprise attack, she _had seen_ this before. It had been perfected and mastered since then, but she knew exactly who did it.

Sure, she didn't have any solid proof, and it was obviously a shot in the dark.

But a mother always knows.

...

* * *

**There, now you all know who Tawnyleaf is. I know, shocker even though Ravenfeather downright said it in burning roses Silver thorns. But it's a tiny detail that not many people would catch...but if you knew who she was before, congraturations! **

**Anyways, I know you may be thinking, what's with the ShadowClan patrol? Well, this will be explained probably more deeply in other chapters, but just to avoid people going "But how did Silverleaf know ShadowClan would attack?" he didn't. The poor nutcase is probably just lucky that he missed them. And obviously, since Onyxpelt is the one leading the patrol, it wasn't... oh, you can figure it out, especially when you read the next chapter. **

**Review and you get a Sapphirepaw plushie! YAY RANDOM SHADOWCLAN APPRENTICES! FOR THE WIN!! **


	10. Chapter 8

**WHOOO!! **

**In days. It was just a few freaking DAYS and I already popped out another chapter! I'm so excited, like I'm about to get my old rhythm back!! Whee!! **

**Admittedly, this happened by accident. You see, this chapter was supposed to include the battle, a ceremony, a gathering - another monster. However, when the battle ended, I had a good chapter-length, so I said, "Whee! Let's publish it!" **

**And I did! **

**This means that you get to have a really long battle scene! I got some complaints that the last chapter was boring - heck yeah, I agree with you, that was long and droning, but everything was needed, as you will see in later chapters. But I got through it! But again with the battle scene. Personally, I don't usually like battle scenes for some reason. I don't like reading too much action, no matter how descriptive it is, so if you're like me, you might not like this chapter. But if you DO like long battle scenes, you might enjoy this! Unless I wrote a bad scene. Which is entirely possible, considering this is me we're talking about, and I don't like battle scenes myself so I can't judge them. (But sadly, in WARRIORS fanfiction it is usually smiled upon to have the warriors do WARRIOR things. And clawing each other senseless is, no matter what Firestar tells you to the contrary, a warrior thing.)**

**bekeyboo - I LOVE THAT MOVIE TOO!! I didn't think anyone would catch the reference for some reason! I just finished the book - by William Goldman. If you love the movie, I suggest you read the book too! It's fantastic! (To anyone confused, I'm talking about the Princess Bride. If you haven't seen that movie or read the book, do it. Right now. Seriously. )**

**WATERSOUL!! - You'll always be watersoul to me, sorry. Anyways, some people caught on who Tawnyleaf was as soon as she said, "Hey, my name's Tawnyleaf!!" But some people I noticed were scratching their heads going, "Who is this masked she-cat?!" Weird thing: If you read ERHT, you'll notice that she is mentioned by Shadenight a couple of times. So I was actually planning for her appearance for a long time. You probably wouldn't notice a detail like that in a fanfic, but...yeah. And...YAY MOUNTAIN DEW!**

**Pearla Chan - -blushes- Thank you so much!!I'm glad you keep reviewing! It rox my socks off when I see that you dropped one, since you've been going for so long!**

**mapleleaf - Read what I said to Pearla! xD Anyways, TECHNICALLY Rosethorn could be deputy. Sandpelt was made deputy in ThunderClan even though she was nursing. Bluestar had to give up her kits in the books because it was in Sunstar's CHARACTER that he would not choose a queen as his deputy. That's what I got from the reading, anyway... lol. And besides, Rosethorn isn't officially preggers yet. She and Thorntail are still just...trying for it. But this is just to prove that aside from the ridiculousness of making Rosethorn a deputy, technically Duststar would be in his rights to make her one. Though...um...again, that would be silly. Even for me. **

**Dewkit - HA!! I UPDATED QUICKLY!! I DEFEATED ALL OF YOUR DOUBTS IN ME!! HA HA HA!! (Now just wait three months for the next chapter! lol!) **

**Tawnyleaf - No, their names are complete coincidences. If you remember, it took me FOREVER to get Silverleaf to be named Silverleaf. He was Silverwing and Silvershadow for awhile. And before I introduced him, when I diddling with what name I should give him, he was almost named Mosspaw. oO I could never name that cat properly. **

**colorblind - I've never read Lolita. And thank you, that was my intention with Tawnyleaf. To make her crazyish, that is. Thanks for dropping a review!**

**Silverrose82 - Wow, you like long chapters? I don't like them, personally. I hate reading fanfiction with long chapters. But then I whip out monsters. Weird, huh? **

**The Underwater Seahorse - Heh. I understand WHOLE heartedly. The last chapter wasn't that great, but sometimes you really need to get things in. I again needed to remind everyone of Smokestar and Lightsnow, and foreshadow some things, and blah, blah blah. But to put it simply: yes, Silverleaf killed Listeningecho. And Silverleaf specifically mentioned in his thoughts in the previous chapter that he couldn't kill Rosethorn yet - at least for the mission he was on, because RiverClan wouldn't care. And not at that moment because Thorntail, Blackshadow, and Applefur were there...and...yeah. I'm sorry! Have a cookie for trudging through that! -gives cookie- **

**Squirrelflightlover - I'm glad you like Tawnyleaf! I was kind of worried about how people would accept this character, but apparantly she's popular, so I'm happy!**

**feathercloud13- There is some RosexThorn in here, so I hope you'll be happy! ...Not much though. But in the future there will be! I just need to get the DARNED plot out there!**

**Caged Bird in Demon Arms - Heh, thanks! I don't know where I came up with his name, but it probably was the fire/tiger prophecy... hrm... **

**MushroomT - -huggles again- I'm glad you liked Sapphirepaw! I kind of miss her now... I might have to have her do something later. I dunno.**

**Icefox19 - Thank you! Did I update fast enough for you this time?**

**Ziro - Don't ask me why I updated at like, 12:00. So, we're even there! lol.And yes, you are the first reviewer! For that, you get a cookie!**

**Now, you can begin the chapter! Again, pretty long battle scene... Uh... I hope you like it?**

**Enjoy,  
**

* * *

The sun was beginning to drown beneath the horizon, and when the chilling night winds began to blow the four cats' off their paws, it was practically a unanimous decision that it would probably be best for all of them to return to their respective camps.

It was actually the levelheaded Blackshadow who had first hesitantly reminded them all of the danger of staying away too long for they might be missed, and though no cat was thrilled, they all had to admit that the ebony tomcat had had a good point.

"It's weird," Applefur admitted as the ginger queen rose to her paws. The ThunderClan female had been so happy and carefree just a few heartbeats ago, and it alarmed Rosethorn when she saw the sorrow rippling in the icy irises. "It's really over, isn't it?"

"No it isn't," Rosethorn meowed instantly; trying to pretend that she didn't get the double meaning of Applefur's words. "Just this meeting tonight. We'll probably meet up like this again, and at gatherings…" It was a subconscious action, but Rosethorn found herself glancing at the pale moon that was hanging dimly in the sky. It would be full soon.

"I guess," Applefur conceded. She tentatively continued. "But all of us… It's over. I didn't get to say goodbye to you before, so it didn't really seem like you were gone yet, but now I realize…" It was obviously hard for the spunky she-cat to continue, because her voice was strained as she went on. "You're going to go home to RiverClan, Blackshadow and I will be going to ThunderClan…We're not allies anymore, are we?"

Applefur's words hung in the air, and Rosethorn knew that she wasn't the only one who felt a shiver crawl down her spine as she looked into the eyes of the two cats that had loved her and supported her undyingly for moons now.

She knew what Applefur was saying. Rosethorn had cut her ties with ThunderClan so quickly that not even she herself had emotionally come to terms with the friends she was losing. It was weird. Rosethorn had been thinking of nothing but the horrible things in ThunderClan: the blind Clan leader, the sick medicine cat, the weakness in the politics, the painful memories of Flamesoul and her father's death.

But even now, when Rosethorn thought about it: Blackshadow and Applefur had always been there. Even when they hadn't been close friends, those two cats had always been Clanmates.

They had been kits in the nursery alongside one another. They had become apprentices in their own fields – together. Blackshadow and Applefur had been in camp the awful night Flamesoul took her, and they had sat vigil for her father.

Even before they were friends, when they had just been running towards the common goal of surviving and keeping ThunderClan strong. And from that goal, a bond had formed between them all strong enough, Rosethorn had thought, to derail anything. They had helped her survive so much. Spottedlight's accusations, Shadenight's flirtations, Graywhisker's shadow, Silverleaf's plans, Flamesoul's return, and even when Thorntail had fled it was Applefur and Blackshadow who had pushed Rosethorn forward to win him back. They had risked their rank, their Clan's trust in them, their honor, their lives, and even their right to call their kits their own just to see their friends happy.

And now, it was all over. Applefur and Blackshadow had saved the love of their friends, but Rosethorn knew that their friendship would never be the same. They had once fought against every shadow and scrap of darkness alongside one another, and it smacked Rosethorn like a splash of water: she and Thorntail were on their own now. They had to protect their love themselves, and couldn't rely on the two noble guardians to defend them anymore. They were in different Clans, they were -

"Maybe _officially_ we're not allies," Thorntail meowed with a shrug of his shoulders. "But we're still allies. Always will be. There are some things that can't even be smashed by the warrior code. And I guarantee you: our alliance has gone through a lot worse than this. This isn't the end," Thorntail's eyes glinted. "This is just the beginning."

"Thorntail's right," Blackshadow spoke up almost as soon as the gray tom had finished. "Nothing's going to stop us now. I won't let it," he added firmly.

"None of us will," Thorntail vowed.

"No, we won't," Applefur finally agreed. She collected Blackshadow and started to pad back into her territory. "Bye, mighty RiverClan warriors: Thorntail and Rosethorn!"

Rosethorn watched her friends pad into the bramble bushes towards what used to be her home. She realized that the next time she encountered them could very well be in battle… But she knew. Their friendship and bond was more powerful than the entirety of both RiverClan and ThunderClan, and not a thousand claws could rip through it.

But, that was just one point in Rosethorn's defenses that could be breached.

When the reentered their territory, the two mates noticed that Serpentpelt was streaking towards the Northern border. At first Rosethorn dismissed her as just running around for fun as that she-cat had always seemed a little quirky, but as soon as the short-legged female noticed the two warriors she bee lined straight towards them.

"ShadowClan! Attacking! Outnumbered! Sent Wavepaw for reinforcements but…" Serpentpelt stopped, noticing the impracticality of a wordy explanation. "Thorntail, Rosethorn, follow me! We have to hold them back until we can get more reinforcements!"

There was no time to argue. The thin warrior almost instantly bolted off at a speed that was impressive considering her short stature. Rosethorn didn't remember giving her limbs any orders, but she found herself being carried towards what she expected to be her first battle as a RiverClan warrior.

Thorntail asked her something about whether or not Rosethorn thought she would be able to fight. Rosethorn didn't answer him, not wanting to know the true answer herself. Instead, her mind was racing through the peculiarities of ShadowClan preying on RiverClan. Having just been in ThunderClan she could say for fact that the dark Clan wasn't finished bullying her former home. Indeed, before Rosethorn had left Streamstar had said she was putting something in motion to end the skirmishes, but surely ShadowClan wouldn't just back off? And even if they had, why attack RiverClan? If it was territory or prey that they wanted, they could have it in abundance from either WindClan or ThunderClan. As the old she-cat's saying went: Why hunt the badger when the mouse is sleeping in your paws?

Why attack RiverClan, the only Clan in the forest who has the morale and numbers to lift a claw to defend themselves?

Rosethorn didn't have time to deliberate the matter much farther. Instead she came to the point of interest of where Serpentpelt was leading them. And as soon as she overlooked the bush-dotted field, a completely serene if only the swarm of combat patrols were absent, her mind focused completely on the debacle she was about to meet headfirst. There was no time to think of motivations or feelings, it was just one thing: there were ShadowClan cats in RiverClan territory, and it was her duty to alter that fact.

She would have been lying to herself if she tried to say that she wasn't afraid at the scene unfolding before her. Though she was slightly more competent in the basics of fighting than she had been just a moon ago, due to training from both Applefur and Thorntail, she wasn't confidant that her skills could pin an experienced ShadowClan warrior.

Especially _these_ ShadowClan warriors. The invaders outnumbered the tiny RiverClan patrol like the mighty river that rolled alongside the territory dwarfed a puddle. And each and every one of these enemy warriors had a murderous glint in their burning eyes as they slashed and sliced. These cats were bloodthirsty, enraged, and most of all, far more experienced and skilled than Rosethorn was.

The RiverClan cats, a pitiful few – just Owlpelt, Tawnyleaf, and Tigerflame, were standing shoulder by shoulder, a ferocious wall of fangs and teeth which stabbed and jabbed at the wave of warriors launching themselves towards them. They were the only blockade from the camp, which would be filled with mewling kits and crippled elders, unable to defend themselves.

Serpentpelt wasted no time in positioning herself on Tigerflame's flank. Thorntail followed suit on Tawnyleaf's side, strengthening the force by that much more.

The ShadowClan cats first tried to simply walk around the shield, but each time they did so an angry pair of RiverClan jaws grabbed a leg and tossed them back. So instead they opted to topple the defense head-on.

Rosethorn stood there, for a moment uncertain of the action she should take. She had always been the medicine cat; one of the creatures the Clan was trying to defend. Now she was a defender, and she knew that she had a duty to make sure that none of the bloodthirsty ShadowClan cats broke through their defense and got to camp. At the very least, they had to hold them until the reinforcements arrived.

Rosethorn hadn't slept much the night before. She had just climbed from a river and was wet and shivering from the breeze. But when her muscles bunched together and she flew to Thorntail's side, adding another set of teeth onto the shield… she felt _invincible._

It was the strangest feeling she had ever felt.She was risking her life for her Clan, and the threat of death was hanging over her head like a boulder about to drop, yet, somehow, it was at this moment that she felt immortal, like no claw would penetrate her shield and crack bones. Though she had felt fear before diving in, there was now no drop of that wretched emotion anywhere in her body.

She had once heard Thorntail describe it to her as a battle calm. Her nerves had released, her terror had dissipated, and she even felt her senses pique: every sight, sound, and smell was clear as crystal, everyone's movements seemed to be locked in at snail-pace, and she felt as if no enemy's blows would strike her because they were moving far too slow.

She swept herself to the left as she dodged a blow from a mousy black-and-tan female's powerful forepaw. When the she-cat moved to withdraw her limb back to the safety beneath her body, Rosethorn gave into the flow of the battle and dug her fangs as hard as she could onto the paw. The ShadowClan cat screeched, and instinctively tried to pull her injury back towards her. She succeeded, but dragged the light, unmuscular former medicine cat that had not relaxed her jaws along with her. It was simple to keep hold on one of the cat's key tools of fighting in defense, yet at the same time shifting her weight onto her back legs, rearing up, and slamming her front claws into the nemesis' revealed chest. Rosethorn felt the impact run up her front legs as she punctured the other cat's skin, and was already twisting her claws through to get the maximum amount of damage done, sawing her claws down into fur, skin, and some other squishy things that were a mystery to Rosethorn, ripping up and around, the blood warm on her chilling paws, not releasing the enemy until frog-breath entered her fine-tuned senses from the ShadowClan cat's scream.

The female didn't retreat from the battlefield, however, as is usually traditional. Instead, the pale-brown and ebony warrior flung herself at Thorntail, who she had mistaken for easier prey.

It didn't end well.

Rosethorn was already engaged in defending herself from another opponent, but she did hear Thorntail's enraged shout: "Oh, _no_!! You didn't…you did _not _just get some of your icky chest blood on _me_!! You know how long it's going to take me to get this out my fur, you insensitive weasel-dropping!?" This battle cry was followed by another yowl of pain from Rosethorn's previous adversary, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the cat retreat several tail-lengths to begin nursing her wounds.

Rosethorn knew that she and every other cat in her line wanted to charge over and _make_ that she-cat begin a permanent retreat from RiverClan land before she could contribute to the battle once more, but it would be nearly impossible to swim through the chaotic ocean of hissing ShadowClan cats, and if even one RiverClan cat moved, the wall would be broken and the enemy would delve deeper into the territory.

The ShadowClan cats were fueled by their rage, pounding against the defensive line of RiverClan cats in such strength and anger that it was practically insane. This was their undoing, as it was clear even to someone as inexperienced as Rosethorn that they had no true strategy, intent only on winning for no obvious reason other than the fact that they were ShadowClan and there were RiverClan standing in their way of their goal. Whatever that goal may be.

But even though they had the advantage in numbers and blind slashing, Rosethorn felt her Clanmates beside her holding their own with firm confidence and strength. Thorntail's skill, Tigerflame's heart, Tawnyleaf's cleverness, and Owlpelt's speed were proving far too much for their rampaging enemies. But Rosethorn, even though she had managed to hold her own against that one tan-and-black warrior, it was obvious to her that she was the weakest link in the fence. And it became apparent to the ShadowClan cats as well.

There was some reminiscence of a plan as two large tomcats doubled up against Thorntail, the cat at Rosethorn's flank, preventing him from defending her, as he was far too preoccupied. And, once Thorntail was amply distracted, it almost seemed as if the entire ShadowClan patrol started to loom towards her, preparing to strike as one, knocking Rosethorn away as if she were nothing.

As she saw the growing number of cats forming before her, Rosethorn felt a twinge of fear finally spark in her stomach. Thorntail clearly felt something else, because she heard him let out a hiss of frustration, obviously noticing the plight his mate was in.

And then she heard him…purr?

"My, my, my…" he chuckled, his glee throwing off one of his attackers for a moment. "Aren't your Clanmates bold?"

While one of them kept thrusting blows at Thorntail, the other half of the pair of ShadowClan cats had a tone as if he was talking to a madcat. "What do you mean?"

"They're going to be massacred. Rosethorn's one of the greatest fighters that ever lived," this statement was made even more complimentary when Thorntail made the still-hostile adversary howl in pain. "Whoever strikes her first will probably lose a limb."

…Had Thorntail finally gone completely insane?! Rosethorn had sent that ShadowClan she-cat away with a few bruises, but probably nothing more worrisome than that. She could defend herself, but a cat would have to be a blubbering idiot to bear any permanent scars from crossing her.

But then she saw what Thorntail was getting at. If a big, strong, powerful tomcat referenced a miniature creature as a tough opponent, one couldn't help but be intimidated. And it worked: the horde of ShadowClan cats did look a little more apprehensive.

Adding fuel to the fire, Rosethorn allowed herself to flex her claws and let out a purr.

This only held off the impending wave for a moment though. Soon, the ShadowClan cats got over any initial fear and obviously decided that they'd win against her by sheer numbers alone, no matter how legendary or skilled she was.

But by the time they charged forward, the other RiverClana cats had already been alerted by Thorntail's clever remark that Rosethorn was in danger. Knowing as well as Rosethorn did that she was no match for brutish of ShadowClan, the allies allowed Tawnyleaf and Tigerflame to reposition themselves at Rosethorn's side, and then quickly filled in the gap the duo had left.

When the brunt of ShadowClan cats hit, Rosethorn was far from alone. A tiny white she-cat, probably an apprentice was merely batted away from the titanic Tigerflame, before the mighty warrior shifted himself and gave a green-eyed tom a brutally-hard kick, spinning the warrior back several tail-lengths.

Tawnyleaf had her paws full with a pretty little silver she-cat. The lion-colored RiverClan warrior's leafy eyes narrowed into slits as she eyed her enemy curiously. "You're name Stormpool?" she asked finally.

The silver cat had been in the middle of what was probably intended to be a swipe across Tawnyleaf's pretty face, but she stopped, her paw still in the air, baffled. "Yes, why?" Her tone was calm and casual, as if discussing the weather at a gathering and not in the midst of a bloodstained battlefield.

Tawnyleaf's eyes glowed with humor, as if she was telling a hilarious joke. Her tone carried the same cheer as she meowed, "You murdered our deputy, right before my apprentice's eyes. For such an atrocious crime, you must be flung before StarClan's mercy. Permanently."

Rosethorn didn't have time to comprehend what that statement was supposed to mean, or wonder about Listeningecho's true whereabouts as she ducked away from a curiously timed head butt a ShadowClan cat was presenting her with.

Stormpool snorted. "Just like a river-rat to fling baseless lies around. Of all cats to call me a murderer, it's the mother of all!" Stormpool's voice dripped with venom. "I've never killed a cat, but there's a first time for everything! And I'm positive StarClan will honor me for ridding slime like you from their forest!"

"Murderer!"

"Filth!"

And then two she-cats, one silver, one gold, locked claws and fell fangs first into a frantic battle.

Thorntail must have been successful in his fight between the two ShadowClan cats, because Rosethorn felt his long, gray fur rub against hers as he tensed up at the sight of another howling warrior charging towards him.

That was the last coherent thing Rosethorn was able to see before all semblance of organization was lost. In front of her there was nothing but a moving, howling, frantic forest of cats leaping and dancing around her, doing nothing but blindly clawing, biting, and thrusting, no true goal other than to force the RiverClan cats back, by any means necessary: even if it meant death.

She wasn't taking too many blows, as her enemy was just striking randomly with hardly any aim in mind, and it was fairly simple to dodge most every slash. She felt that her Clanmates were succeeding in it as well, because though she was in the site of a ferocious fight, there was hardly any scent of blood in the air.

And that's when it became clear. The ShadowClan cats weren't _trying_ to draw blood. They were just trying to exhaust their adversaries so that going through them would be as easy as walking through a kittypet door!

Right when the frenzy began to seem overwhelming, with the low morale of the RiverClan warriors leaving a tangy scent on the wind and the ShadowClan cats' plan about to pull through…

Serpentpelt's apprentice, Wavepaw arrived.

Rosethorn didn't see him right away. She had been focused trying to dodge one of her many opponent's scores, and wouldn't have noticed if a badger came and sat on her. She would, however, have noticed if a badger sat on the cat currently trying to claw her eyes out. Or, in this case, if an _apprentice flung himself_ at the cat trying to claw her eyes out.

It was Wavepaw! The older, slightly prickly apprentice had returned. And that meant…

She heard a loud, whooping battle cry behind her. The cry was unfamiliar, but the voice emitting the sound was clear as day: Duststar had arrived! And from the thundering paw steps ringing through the air, he hadn't come alone.

Her fellow RiverClan cats flew over her, pouncing directly onto the ShadowClan cats. The tables of the battle had turned: in such a dramatic way.

Not only did Rosethorn find herself able to breath, but also the ShadowClan cats wriggled free from their opponents and retreated several tail-lengths.

"Defensive wall!" She heard the cry from the one of the invading warriors as they mimicked the action the RiverClan cats had used instinctively. But instead of remaining in one place to defend its position, it started to march forward, moving as one body.

It was intimidating. Just a fray of dripping teeth and pointy claws surging forward, owned by glowing eyes filled with hatred. Hardly any of them bore any marks of the recent battle, and their muscles bulged beneath their dark pelts. None of them showed a hint of exhaustion, just firm determination and a powerful desire.

"They're coming to die!" Thorntail yowled, briefly rearing up on his hind legs before thundering back onto the earth. "They're coming to bleed! They're coming to our claws!"

And Thorntail was right. At least to the ShadowClan cats approaching, the dark warriors not even batting an eyelash at the tomcat's gibe or at the new, angry RiverClan cats that had arrived onto the field.

The forest was dark now, the sun having officially given up its position to the pearly moon, but even so Rosethorn recognized the reinforcements Duststar had brought with him. The sleek Fishclaw, the light-footed Rinoa, the lucky Cinnamonfur, the experienced Puddlespots, the powerful Darkstorm… Duststar had brought a force to be feared! Thorntail, Tawnyleaf, Owlpelt, Tigerflame, Serpentpelt, and Rosethorn herself were now all ragged and exhausted from going toe-to-toe with such outrageous numbers, but these new warriors were fresh, skilled, and most of all: vengeful and determined to protect their home against a common enemy.

And at Thorntail's courageous hiss, the RiverClan cats cheered, their confidance inflating like a pregnant she-cat's stomach. Rosethorn's did as well. She felt her spirit soar through the air once more as the fiery flames of battle singed her whiskers. Fighting, side by side with her mate and loved ones against the creatures that threatened their safety… There were few things more beautiful.

Before the skirmish of ShadowClan warriors could release their strike, the RiverClan cats, though given no order, attacked as one and flew towards the intruders. Rosethorn tumbled onto a dark tabby tomcat with jagged black tabby stripes. His legs held strong, and Rosethorn found her fierce force that she had exhibited to pounce onto him bounced her right off. She stumbled to the ground, her body blowing a cloud of dust into the air.

The cat had a clear advantage. He was probably about twice Rosethorn's height and weight – at least it looked that way from Rosethorn's uncomfortable seat on her tummy – and from the looks of his deep battle scars, it looked as if not only did he fight for ShadowClan, he also got into scraps with his own Clanmates on a daily basis.

By now, the ShadowClan cats' line-formation had broken. They were too eager to go on the offensive, and now the chaos of battle was unleashed. If one couldn't identify the cats by their scents, it would've looked to an onlooker like a free-for-all, just a large group of cats scrapping against one another for no apparent reason. Howls of victory and screams of pain boomed in the air like thunder, and the presence of blood zigzagged through everyone's senses like lightning.

Rosethorn was still staring up at the ShadowClan cat she had unsuccessfully pounced on, uncertain on how she should go about her next action. If she tried to get up, no doubt the tom would knock her over again, but she couldn't just lie there because she was at a serious disadvantage lying the way she was and…

These thoughts raced through her mind at a mile a minute, and she had truly just been lying on the earth for a split heartbeat when another scathing tom's voice rang from a tail-length away.

"Hey, Deadgrass!"

From the way the dark tabby's whiskers twitched, that was the name he carried.

He was briefly distracted by his friend's call, and Rosethorn used the momentary lapse in attention to fly to her paws. She eyed him carefully, formulating a plan of action in her mind. He was bigger, stronger, and more experienced than her and she was at a serious disadvantage… Thorntail had told her in situations like this to go for the weak points, like an unguarded leg or eye. She darted a paw forward, but Deadgrass expected it like it was a move that cats always tried to use on him. It probably was.

While Rosethorn had been trying to draw blood on Deadgrass, another cat seemed to have manifested his claws in her flank. She let out a cry, and tossed an indignant glance at the tom that had performed such a shameful action.

She recognized him instantly. His shiny pelt, his 'sensitive' eyes, his pearly teeth… He was the cat that had taken Ebonypool's heart! Marshclaw!

"Wow!" The night-colored tomcat purred, not removing his claws from her side but exerting the effort to shift so he could run his tail around her neck. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a battlefield like this? And this just defies the laws of nature…" Viridian eyes flickered towards Deadgrass. "How'd a cat like _that _catch _you_?"

"Let…me…go!" Rosethorn hissed, twirling herself around in an attempt to get Marshclaw to release his grip.

"Gnaw, can't do that…" Marshclaw shook his head. "I have a duty, as a warrior, to inspect each and every she-cat in the forest… Make sure they have warrior blood. Do you have warrior blood?" His tongue strolled down her spine. "I've never seen you before. Another part of Duststar's collection? What's your name?"

Deadgrass padded to his friends side, and cocked his head. "She looks familiar to me… Blue eyes, red fur… Hey, is that Rosethorn?"

"Rosethorn?"

"Yeah, isn't she ThunderClan's medicine cat?"

"This is RiverClan, you mouse-brain."

"Yeah, but - " Deadgrass never got to finish his sentence. Rosethorn had taken advantage of Marshclaw's distraction, and thrust all of her weight towards her captor. They both fell into a tangled heap, with Rosethorn the cherry on top. She leapt off of him, and prepared herself to go into combat alone against the two gargantuan ShadowClan cats.

"How dare you!" Deadgrass hissed, assisting Marshclaw back onto his paws. "You crazy piece of fox-dung!"  
He started to charge towards her, his throat unleashing a gargling cry with Deadgrass in toe. Rosethorn tensed and got ready to become kit bedding for Ebonypool's children.

Unfortunately for the unborn kits, before any cats' snapping jaws could tear into her flesh, two gray blurbs rocketed into the two ShadowClan cats, knocking both of them over. Once the speed-haze had faded away, Rosethorn could clearly see that Thorntail had tackled Deadgrass onto his back, and was currently using his forepaws to hold the warrior down while simultaneously raking his back legs across his exposed stomach.

"Don't you _ever _insult the integrity of another tom's mate!" Thorntail spat, briefly lifting one of his forepaws to cuff the other cat across the ear. "You're going to apologize to Rosethorn now!"

Deadgrass wasn't going to give into that. Right away, anyway. The cat fiercely attempted to knock Thorntail off of him. However, Deadgrass being a large ShadowClan cat himself was clearly unused to locking claws with other large cats, and Thorntail nearly matched his bear-like height. His struggles were completely in vein, and Thorntail didn't budge nor let up on his swipes at the weak belly.

"I'm…I'm sorry!"

"Not to me, you didn't do anything to _me_. To Rosethorn!"

"Sorry Rosethorn!"

"Right, very well then." Thorntail leapt off of Deadgrass and landed neatly on h is paws. He nodded curtly at Deadgrass. "You may go."

The tom, very eagerly, did so.

Thorntail padded over to Rosethorn, and gave her a quick lick on the ear. "Look at how fast he went."

Rosethorn returned his favor. While doing so, she noticed that it had been Duststar who had knocked Marshclaw over. And the RiverClan leader, aged, as he was, was having little difficulty against the young warrior.

As she gazed across the battlefield, she noticed that Tawnyleaf was again at odds with the silver cat she had been contending with earlier. Stormpool was obviously fighting to the best of her ability, but her swipes were now lacking much power and aim, and Rosethorn knew that she was losing stamina. And Tawnyleaf, her eyes were glinting the way Thorntail's does when he had his mouse trapped and the only question left was how to properly rip out the future-fresh-kill's jugular.

Owlpelt and Wavepaw, being the smallest participating, were the only two cats still fighting shoulder rubbing against shoulder, moving step for step as they overpowered their enemy – the same tan and brown female Rosethorn had been clawing earlier.

Rosethorn finally got to see the true reason Serpentpelt had her name. Yes, the she-cat was long and short like a snake, but that wasn't where the similarities ended. The way she weaved around her enemies, struck and recoiled, were reminiscent of a cobra or a rattlesnake, particularly since Serpentpelt also shook her tail in the air for no practical reason while hissing obscenities. She was undoing a duo of ShadowClan cats, which were stumbling over her, probably having never seen the curious fighting style before as she outwitted them before finally sending them home to their mothers.

Rosethorn rejoined the storm of battle, her heart pounding in her chest. She zipped her claws through the air, and shot her neck out to rip the pelt out of her enemy. Thorntail was behind her, facing the other way as they fought back to back, with their own strength but with the constant support of their mate, right behind them in everything they did, as they conquered each and every enemy they faced.

But Rosethorn, as inexperienced as she was, had never seen enemies so determined. Usually invaders retreated at a fairly quick pace, as they didn't have the desire to stay and get their fur clawed out for territory that wasn't theirs, and their morale was as fragile as a kit's bone. But these ShadowClan cats kept fighting as they had when they first arrived, with strength and heart, and once again Rosethorn was forced to wonder why they were so intent on defeating the RiverClan cats.

But their heart was destined to be broken.

She saw Tawnyleaf streak across her vision, the warrior's golden pelt almost as scarlet as Rosethorn's. Her emerald eyes were glowing like stars and she shouted, "Stormpool is dead! Listeningecho has been avenged!" As soon as these words escaped her lips though, several ShadowClan cats jumped away from their earlier intended victims and flew towards her, the wish for vengeance drooling off their bared fangs.

A thorn of sorrow pierced Rosethorn's soul. She had heard that Listeningecho had been killed before, but she had been so caught up in battle that she hadn't noticed. But…Listeningecho was dead? Rosethorn hadn't known her very well, but she had respected the Listeningecho for the way she had glowed with authority and will, and the way her levelheaded common sense made up for the withering Duststar.

The fact that they had killed Listeningecho seemed to sharpen Rosethorn's claws as she swung them towards her opponents. The ShadowClan cats were even more enraged now than before from hearing of their Clanmate's death, but it was clear from the fear scent speckling the air that they weren't so keen on carrying on this battle.

But they were still far from surrendering. Rosethorn's ears pricked and nearly fluttered off of her head when a hysterical caterwaul rang through the air as a big, dirt-brown tabby tomcat rushed towards her, crawling so close to the ground that his curiously-colored white belly scoured the earth beneath him.

His approach was sudden, and Rosethorn hadn't had time to prepare for his brutal claws that scored across her face. It knocked Rosethorn backwards, but instead of falling onto earth she found her back leaning against Thorntail's as he snapped his neck out at whomever he was battling. She was merely standing awkwardly on her hind legs. The other warrior obviously hadn't expected this safety net, and he was still fumbling in confusion when she let herself fall forward, slamming her forepaws onto his forehead. The force of her blow made him buckle his knees together before finally tumbling downward.

He was back up in a heartbeat. But a stream of blood was trickling down his face, and from the look in his eyes he wasn't willing to take the fight much farther. Quite the opposite, the tom finally gave in and fled back to his territory, following almost the same path Deadgrass had taken before him.

It was then out of the corner of Rosethorn's eye that she saw that Marshclaw had acquired a confederate in his battle against Duststar. Her heart twisted when she saw the elderly RiverClan leader, fighting for all that he was worth against two young, vigorous ShadowClan warriors who were at the high point of their fitness.

She wanted to rush over and help him, the kind, slightly senile tom who had taken her in during a horrible period of hopelessness from her self-imposed exile. But she was inhibited from going over or even looking any longer, because the _same _brown-and-black female that Rosethorn had done battle with at the very beginning of the fight was thrashing at the side of her cheek with bleeding, nearly-broken claws. Since the claws were now next-to-nothing, it was more irritating then it was painful, and Rosethorn ducked herself down, spoiling the female's stroke, before swiping her fangs at the cat's face. She grated on bone, drew blood, and hammered her with her free claws.

The enemy warrior fell backwards, but was pushed forward from a fight that Serpentpelt and Tawnyleaf were orchestrating against a couple of still-thirsty-for-revenge ShadowClan cats. Rosethorn played one round of ping-pong by knocking the she-cat back into the fray. Serpentpelt noticed another cat staggering towards her, and, assuming the worst, wasted no time in chasing her off.

_Finally_, the tan-and-black ShadowClan warrior exited the combat-zone. Though, Rosethorn had to admire her courage to keep on fighting for so long.  
But when she ran off, another warrior materialized in front of Rosethorn, and the former ThunderClan she-cat was thrust into combat yet again. This time, however, Thorntail no longer had an opponent of his own to occupy him, so this newcomer hardly gave Rosethorn any time to even register his appearance before he was sent spiraling away.

"How are you doing?" Thorntail panted, his eyes burning with passion from the flaming battle around him.

"Well, I haven't retreated yet," she answered as together, without exchanging a glance, they launched themselves to assist Serpentpelt and Tawnyleaf against the enormous amount of ShadowClan cats who were thirsting for their blood.

It was curious. No matter how many cats Thorntail sent squealing away or how many cats Rosethorn defended herself from, even with Stormpool's fatality, there still seemed to be an infinite number of ShadowClan cats swarming the territory.

Rosethorn had been knocked out of the huddle of cats defending Tawnyleaf by one warrior's powerful hind legs. She landed in the dust, but no ShadowClan cat chased after her. They were now trying to avenge the blood of Stormpool that Tawnyleaf had spilt with the warrior's own.

She took this time where she was spared from the suffocation of battle to scan the battlefield once more. Wavepaw was wrestling with a warrior who, miraculously, was about his size. The apprentice was clearly able to take care of himself quite easily, and from the glint in his yellow eyes, he wouldn't appreciate any help from Rosethorn. Fishclaw and Puddlespots were smashing one poor ShadowClan warrior between them, hissing and slashing at her from all sides, leaving no room for escape. Rinoa, a cat whose personality was more or less a mystery to Rosethorn, had just fled into the swarm of cats after Tawnyleaf, no doubt going to go defend her surrogate mother. Duststar was…

_Duststar! _

She had been so caught up in the rush of the fight that she had completely forgotten about the old tomcat! Last time she had checked on him he had been having difficulties against a threatening duo of ShadowClan cats a quarter his age and twice his current skill, and…

Duststar had chased one of them away, it seemed. However, Marshclaw was still fighting strong, and it was clear that Duststar was going to give way at any moment.

He did.

The RiverClan leader stumbled backwards, dodging one of Marshclaw's blows, but fell onto his side, possibly tripping over his own age. Marshclaw allowed a howl of victory to escape him, and stared coolly down at the old tom. Marshclaw snapped his neck forward, and Rosethorn knew from the way his strike was aimed, and how Duststar's neck was lying in the open, and where key veins were that… Marshclaw was trying to _kill_ Duststar!

She started to rush forward, not knowing what she would do. After all, she had just done battle with Marshclaw and hadn't even been able to shake him loose from her flank. But she had realized before that in battle, one didn't think. They gave in and allowed the entirety of their instinct to overwhelm them, and she knew that her instincts wouldn't fail her now.

The thing that would fail her would be her legs. It seemed like everything had stopped going in slow motion, and Marshclaw had switched gears to a hare's sprint as he moved to rip open the vein. But her legs, they still seemed to hear to be like those of a turtle, and she knew that unless she changed into one of the monsters that ran on the Thunderpath at breakneck speeds, she would never make it in time.

Luckily for everyone involved except for maybe Marshclaw, she didn't have to.

The noble, ginger-furred warrior, Tigerflame seemed to fall from the sky, striking Marshclaw suddenly and powerfully, like an eagle would its prey. Tigerflame's mighty jaws wrapped skillfully around _Marshclaw's_ neck, stopping the tom's jaws carrying the deathblow in midair. Not done, Tigerflame tossed his head to the side, simultaneously tossing Marshclaw tail-lengths away from Duststar.

And then, the RiverClan tomcat stood protectively in front of his leader, obviously waiting for Marshclaw to jump back up. Rosethorn, anticipating the same thing, continued her stride and halted at his side.

Behind them, Duststar grunted as he came back up. Rosethorn could sense him tense, as he too expected Marshclaw to return.

Marshclaw was lying neatly on his stomach with his paws beneath his chin, in the shadow of a nearby lilac bush. With all the hissing and spitting from the battle raging on, it truly seemed as if he would get up at any second.

Rosethorn could have cut the tension with her claw.

Tigerflame exchanged a worried glance with her before hesitantly padding over towards the ShadowClan warrior. Rosethorn flexed her claws, preparing herself for Marshclaw to jump up and take her Clanmate by surprise.

He didn't. And from the amber eyes of Tigerflame, which were clouded, it looked like he never would.

Even before Tigerflame said it out loud, Rosethorn knew. She hadn't been the best medicine cat the forest had ever seen, and she hadn't truly ever finished her training, but she could tell. From the panic Tigerflame was releasing into the air, and from the eerie stillness of Marshclaw's body, it was obvious.

Marshclaw was dead.

And against the chaos around him, the furious, battling Clan cats fighting for revenge, honor, and for what they firmly believed to be right, the thunder of the battle, the scent of excitement, the feeling of adrenaline pumping through one's veins… Rosethorn wasn't sure if she had ever seen someone look deader.

Listeningecho.

Stormpool.

Marshclaw.

Three cats had already _died, _in this single skirmish.

Rosethorn's mouth dropped into a gape. It was against the Warrior Code to kill in a fight. Very rarely was there even one casualty on either side. When a cat was exhausted or too hurt, they retreated. And no cat would attack the one who retreated; it was dishonorable to do so.

Rosethorn didn't know how it happened. But the ShadowClan cats must've noticed that Marshclaw was dead. She had expected them all to surge towards Tigerflame, and take their revenge against _him_ like they had tried Tawnyleaf_, _but for the second time on that battlefield Rosethorn was anticipating something that wasn't going to happen.

The ShadowClan cats dissipated. They had been losing even before Marshclaw's death, and their numbers had decreased from all their retreating. They hadn't a chance to win anymore. And it was quite clear that none of them wanted to share in Marshclaw's fate.

One by one they turned tail and ran.

A big, black, ShadowClan tomcat, who Rosethorn recognized from gatherings as Onyxpelt, staggered backwards, glaring badger's teeth at each of the RiverClan cats. He looked pitifully at the corpses of Stormpool and Marshclaw briefly, before he hissed, "_Murderers!_ You are all an insult to the Warrior Code! StarClan should descend just to rid us all of your treacherous ways!"

It was a jeer, something that warriors allowed to bounce off of them. It was nothing, really. But Rosethorn saw Tigerflame stiffen uncomfortably with the statement. Tawnyleaf, the self-confessed killer of Stormpool, however, just levelly met Onyxpelt's eyes. "You murdered our deputy."

That was all that needed to be said, and the RiverClan cats howled with rage, instantly supporting Tawnyleaf's decision to kill Stormpool.

Onyxpelt looked surprised, but happily so. "Then RiverClan will bear wounds! Wounds that we will pick at the tear open next battle! Because this is not over! You will all pay for what you did to Amberpaw! We will be back to avenge her…" He flexed his bloodstained claws.

Thorntail padded to Rosethorn's side and shrugged his shoulders. "Ah. So you must want RiverClan to solve an overpopulation problem that ShadowClan has?"

Onyxpelt didn't reply to this. Instead, he just spat at the RiverClan territory beneath his paws, before he too, finally fled.

The last ShadowClan cat having left their sight, Puddlespots and Thorntail streaked after them to ensure that they had exited the territory.

Now that the chaos had faded, Rosethorn became aware of all the injuries she had collected. Her left shoulder was bleeding intensely, and she felt some pain worrying her right forepaw. Why she hadn't noticed before, Rosethorn could only contribute to the 'battle calm'.

Her senses returned to normal, and to Rosethorn, it felt like she was suddenly seeing the world in gray after seeing everything in vigorous color. Everything seemed so faded, dull, now that it was over. But she couldn't deny the joy in her belly that she had come through her first battle alive.

Duststar had dug his muzzle into Listeningecho's fur. Rosethorn could hardly hear him, but she knew that she heard something along the lines of: "I'm sorry, Listeningecho. You were strong and courageous, and so, so wise… StarClan will honor you." He backed away from her, and nodded at Tawnyleaf and Tigerflame. "Take her back to camp."

Tawnyleaf nodded and approached the body with an eerily calm demeanor. Tigerflame, however, was staring down at Marshclaw's body with shock. It seemed as if he hadn't heard Duststar's order at first, but finally he was able to pull himself away from the cat he had slain, and carried out the request.

Duststar watched them go and for the first time Rosethorn had known him he had an aura of authority and seriousness, something that demanded respect. His eyes had hardened, and not only his. All of the RiverClan cats had stone cold eyes. Not a trace of the fun loving Clan was in the air. ShadowClan had slaughtered them.

They had the eyes of cats going to war.

The deputy whom Rosethorn respected had taken a path to StarClan. Her death was avenged by Tawnyleaf, spilling the blood that, apparently, had belonged to her killer. Following Stormpool, was her former apprentice's mate, the cat she had sacrificed everything for.

Yet, Rosethorn felt exhilarated and happy. The adrenaline was gone, and now that she adapted to her new normal senses, she was just…joyful. Exhilaratingly _happy._

When they started to return to camp, and Thorntail had come back from chasing Onyxpelt to the border, he noticed.

"Why are you so giddy?" he asked.

"Well…" Rosethorn thought for a few heartbeats, trying to place a reason and logic for her baseless happiness. "I guess it's because I fought my first battle as a RiverClan warrior."

Thorntail looked completely confused, so she elaborated.

"I'm not ThunderClan's medicine cat anymore. I'm _RiverClan's warrior_," she emphasized. She looked down at her paws, embarrassed. "I know it's really just a change of rank…but I feel like someone brand new! Like…like I'm starting over."

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**Rushed endings rock my socks. Not really, but I couldn't think of anyway to end it neatly. Except the obvious one liner above, but that didn't satisfy me. So, I hoped you liked it! And I hope the battle scene didn't confuse you too, too much. If it did, I'll give a synopsis of the important bits at the beginning of next chapter. Obviously if you got confused it isn't your fault, it's mine, and I apologize. I don't like battle scenes. lol. **

**Review and you'll get a Onyxpelt plushie. Yay, Onyxpelt! **

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	11. Chapter 9

**Yes, I updated. No, I'm not dead. I'm going to stop making excuses, but I will make a promise: that I will update again by Tuesday. And if I don't, I want you all to flood my box with angry Personal Messages from ff to make me get off my lazy tush and start writing. Got it? Because I want to finish this story. Nobody else in the world may care anymore (I mean, who wouldn't lose interest when it takes me THIS LONG?!) but I do, so please, do me a favor. **

**I updated because I noticed the reviews I got started to go into past tense. "Wow, this WAS a really good series. Thanks, I'm glad you WROTE it." And I was like, "GAW!!! Why past tense!? I'm still writing it I say, I swear! I'm just lazy!"**

**To prove the point that I'm still writing it, I wrote a new chapter. It's...less quality than usual, but I wanted it out. So please, drop me a review, keep me going, and DON'T LET ME GET BY UNSCATHED IF I DON'T UPDATE BY 12 AM on Tuesday. Got it? **

**Thanks!**

**Enjoy,**

**

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**The patrol of RiverClan cats trudged back to camp, their paws heavy, and their pelts streaked with dried blood and speckled with dust. As Rosethorn's gaze traveled around the other veterans of the recent battle, it occurred to her that they looked much more like a group of cats returning from a defeat rather than a victory.

And it was no wonder. They had won the battle, but they had lost something magnificent, she thought, as her gaze traveled towards Tigerflame and Tawnyleaf, who were carrying the body of Listeningecho on their shoulders.

As they came into a camp, the RiverClan cats that had stayed behind let out gasps of horror as their eyes too rested onto the deceased deputy. Every cat was silent as the two warriors placed Listeningecho in the center of the camp where she would receive her vigil. No cat moved for several heartbeats, every gaze resting unflinchingly on the corpse, all of them taking in the magnitude of what had just happened. Everyone was quiet, and as still as stone – Rosethorn thought with an ounce of cynicism that Listeningecho looked more alive than any of the Clanmates she had left behind.

As she rode her train of thought a little farther, she realized that it was true. Listeningecho's pelt was aflame in the dying sunlight, and her burning amber eyes were closed as if she were in a sleep. She knew that Listeningecho had a large gnash in her throat from her attacker's claws, but that was hidden by the angle, so no wounds that would betray the lifeless corpse could bee seen. If Rosethorn didn't know better, she would swear on StarClan that she wasn't swearing on Listeningecho when she did so; the deputy looked so alive.

Duststar had padded onto a jagged rock surrounded by a small pool of water that jutted into the air, RiverClan's meeting point. He didn't have to give one of his ridiculous calls, the Clan was already assembled. And, even if they weren't, it was clear from the burning fire in his eyes that he wasn't in his usual jolly mood.

"My Clan," he began, his voice strong and filled with authority, like reminiscent of any leader, "I am well aware that all of you know of your deputy's death. But to honor Listeningecho, I will repeat the news to you all." He paused, and the eerie quiet returned, the only sound that of the roaring river and beating hearts. "Listeningecho has died."

He stopped again, and it seemed as if the silence became even thicker as every cat's throat tightened.

"I need not go into what a magnificent cat Listeningecho was," Duststar went on. "She was my partner. She was the mother of my beautiful daughter, Shadenight, and grandmother to the young Melodypaw. She was a mentor to many of you, and a deputy to all of you." Duststar's voice cracked, this time with more than just age. "She would've made a fine…Clan leader. StarClan is lucky to have her among their ranks."

The tom's shoulders sagged, and the weak and elderly tom that sat on the stone above all of his Clan looked twice his already impressive age. But his words about Listeningecho seemed to awaken the shocked Clan, and they mewed sorrowfully to one another, agreeing with his statement.

Duststar waited for them to return to their respectful silence before continuing. He straightened himself, suddenly looking half his average age as if a spell had been cast on him. His eyes burned with passion, and Rosethorn noticed that his claws were scraping against the stone upon which he sat. "And that is why," he growled, "I am faithful that we will have StarClan's favor to we crush ShadowClan for taking her from us!" The Clan howled in agreement, some shouting that they should march into the ShadowClan camp that very evening, but Duststar raised his voice above the jubilation. "Smokestar has bared his fangs and has stolen one of the most precious treasures of RiverClan! ShadowClan has dishonored RiverClan, entered our territory, and murdered our deputy!" The leader's tone dropped a pitch, as if he was genuinely curious and did not know what to expect of an answer. "Will we allow it?"

The voice of every RiverClan cat, from the tiniest kit to the oldest elder became one as they screeched, "_NO_!" And then, so enthused by this single word, most of the Clan started to chant their negativity to allowing ShadowClan to tread on them, in the same manner that they would chant a new warrior's name.

"_No_!"

Serpentpelt was sharpening her claws on a mouse-sized stone she had found on her paws.

"_No_!"

Fishclaw was swiping his silver claws in the air as if he saw Smokestar's figure right before his eyes.

"_No_!"

Thorntail was weaving his tail through the air, unable to keep still with what was a mixture of excitement and rage.

"_No_!"

Tawnyleaf was licking her lips, as if ShadowClan was a tasty snack she was about to consume.

"_No_!"

The battle high long worn off, Rosethorn felt a peculiar sensation of disturbance tingle through her body. Yes, ShadowClan had killed Listeningecho, and they had to be punished, but did RiverClan have to get their vengeance with a smile? More disturbingly, why had she been so willing to draw blood in the midst of battle, but now that she was safely tucked away in her camp, she pitied her enemy?

"No we won't!" Duststar yowled in agreement with his Clan. "If Smokestar wants to swipe his claws at us _fine_, but we shall make it so he'll wish he kept them neatly in their sheaths! Just like we did today," he added, riling up his Clan even more. "We sent the ShadowClan warriors back to the darkness of their territory with little trouble. And it will be with little trouble that we send them to where they _really belong_."

Amidst the screeches of agreement, some levelheaded tomcat howled out. "So we'll be doubling patrols?"

Duststar's silver whiskers fluttered about in frenzy as if they were being blown by the wind. "No, of course not," he shook his broad head, and several curious mews were passed around the Clan. "That would be if we were defending ourselves from ShadowClan," he clarified, "but we most certainly are not_ defending ourselves_. ShadowClan are the ones who are going to have to double their patrols. ShadowClan are the ones who will have to jump at the snap of a single twig. ShadowClan queens are the ones who will be sneaking their kits into the ranks of WindClan and ThunderClan to save them from drowning in the flood of blood that will wash through their camp! ShadowClan will think that we will be around every corner waiting to strike; and we will be! And we will prove it the very night after tomorrow – the night after the Gathering! Our finest warriors will enter the ShadowClan camp, and _flay_ their finest warriors!"

"And who will lead these warriors into battle?" It was Hazetail who spoke, the elderly she-cat staring up at her leader through glazed eyes. Her voice was gentle, as if kindly reminding her kit to bury his dirt and not a leader to appoint a new second-in-command. "You'll need a new deputy." She raised her gaze meaningfully to the sky, where the moon was beginning to shine clearly over the horizon, the deadline of StarClan's favor eminent.

"That's true," Tawnyleaf called out, swiping a pink tongue across the tip of her golden tail. Her viridian eyes were glowing with excitement, as if there were butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She followed Hazetail's glance and looked meaningfully at the sky. "It's now or never, Father."

Rosethorn, still not entirely comfortable with the hyperactive dynamic of RiverClan, didn't understand why Hazetail's eyes fluttered with panic when her surrogate daughter's voice cut through the air.

Duststar looked down at his mate, annoyance spilt out over his wrinkled face. "Of course I do, you old bat! What did you think I would let lead you into battle? A squirrel? No," he added, regaining the sense of seriousness he had almost let slip away. "In order to demolish ShadowClan, I will need a noble deputy by my side. A cat whose name will strike fear into the hearts of ShadowClan warriors – a cat whose name will be used by their queens to frighten their surviving kits!" Duststar was firing off his rant with cold and precise accuracy, but when he finished his eyes lowered to his paws, as if he actually had no clue who he would choose to be his second-in-command – and possibly his successor, as he was so close to StarClan's ranks.

But he finally raised his head to the heavens of StarClan, amber eyes glittering with confidence. "I say these words before the body of Listeningecho, so her spirit may here and approve my choice," he didn't skip a beat as he interrupted his ceremony. "I have not forgotten the tomcat who saved me from a murderer's claws in the battle. He has already spilled the blood of ShadowClan, and I am sure he will spill more. Tigerflame will be the new deputy of RiverClan."

Loud howls of approval rang throughout the Clan. Rosethorn through her voice into the mix. She wasn't too familiar with the ginger tomcat, but he seemed like a noble warrior with a good head on his shoulders. After Duststar dismissed everyone, she rose to find him and offer her congratulations, but she discovered that he had already collected a mob of excited cats, purring and blessing him.

She waited patiently for his loved ones to depart, before she came forward. She came to him awkwardly. He was a nice tom, but she had barely spoken to him. So she offered him the generic, "You'll be a fine deputy. You should be proud. I mean…uh…both for being deputy and saving Duststar's life."

Tigerflame, who had been watching his sister, Serpentpelt lower her head to share tongues with Listeningecho's body, didn't seem to hear her. His golden eyes were clouded with storms, and for a moment Rosethorn wondered if he had heard her. Suddenly his fur ruffled with a start, and he looked at her with alarm. "Huh? What? Oh," he rolled his eyes at himself, embarrassed. "Thank you, I'll do my best."

"You won't have to," Thorntail's jolly voice rang from behind Rosethorn. She turned to see him jostling towards them, his silver pelt glittering in the almost full-moonlight. "You doing a half-tailed job would be like any other cat in this Clan giving their whole soul to being deputy. You're the best choice Duststar could've made."

Tigerflame still wasn't offering the mates the entirety of his attention, instead his gaze was unwavering on Listeningecho's brown fur. "Yeah…I just wonder why he chose me."

Thorntail seemed irritated. "Because you're the best cat. I thought we just went through this."

"Or is it because I murdered Marshclaw? Because if I'm just deputy because I killed a ShadowClan cat-"

"In the process saving your leader's life," Rosethorn cut in, but Tigerflame ignored her.

"Then I'm not sure if I'm the right cat for…" Tigerflame trailed off, and then jumped, as if he just realized he had been speaking out loud. He flattened his ears against his head in embarrassment, and excused himself, padding towards his predecessor to sit vigil.

Rosethorn watched him go, willing her blessings to go with him. That cat truly was perfect for being deputy if he was cut so deeply for killing an enemy warrior. She was about to mention something to Thorntail, when she saw Owlpelt bounding towards them.

"Hey," the brown tabby purred, his whiskers twitching awkwardly. His eyes flashed towards Listeningecho, "You going to sit vigil?"

Rosethorn noticed that most of her new Clan were making beelines from congratulating Tigerflame to sitting by Listeningecho's body to share tongues with her for the final time. Listeningecho was obviously one of the most beloved RiverClan cats, but Rosethorn had to decline. "I didn't know her well enough. It would almost be an insult to sit with her. I wish I had though… Are you going to?" She directed the question at her mate.

Thorntail snorted. "I never liked her much. After Graywhisker died she had always avoided me like the plague, like being around me would make her kill herself too. She had forbid Shadenight to even speak to me, which of course, made Shadenight even more determined to keep me…But," he meowed before Rosethorn could rebuke him for speaking sourly of a she-cat who was no longer around to defend her actions, "she had been a good deputy. Fair. She deserves respect."

Owlpelt's put in his thoughts, "Shadenight's not going to take it well. She's so… fragile," he sighed. To Rosethorn he added, "Listeningecho was always a tough-love type of female, but you could always tell that she would've given anything with Shadenight. Listeningecho loved RiverClan, but I have no doubt in my mind that if the choice was her Clan or her daughter, her daughter might've come up first. I guess all mother's are like that though, huh?"

Rosethorn's heart skipped a beat and her mind raced towards Streamstar. "No," she murmured, looking down at her paws. "Not all mothers."

Owlpelt looked like he was about to respond when a loud screech made his neck snap towards the source. Her gaze rested on Shadenight, who was shaking as she buried her muzzle into her mother's flank.

He pardoned himself to go see to her, and Rosethorn silently watched him slink by. Was she being morbid when she wondered if Shadenight was truly that sorrowful, or simply milking her mother's death for all it was worth in order to gain the pity and attention from her Clanmates that she thrived on?

She was still watching Shadenight throw her temper tantrum when she felt Thorntail's tail run along her side. He gained her attention and she turned to him, seeing her scarlet face reflected in his concerned azure irises. "Hey," he meowed licking her ear, "You alright?" He was obviously referring to her reference to Streamstar.

"Fine," she replied distractedly. "I… I just wish that my mother were like Owlpelt said Listeningecho was. But…I guess I was never the most important thing to her, huh?"

Thorntail didn't say anything right away, instead he just entwined her tail with his and rubbed his muzzle on her forehead, before quietly mewing in her ear, "You're the most important thing to me."

Rosethorn felt her heart warm and she tightened her body against his. She breathed in his warm, welcoming scent, and couldn't help but think of his proposal to have kittens. Kits that she would love and protect. Kits that she would die for. Like any good mother would.

She buried her muzzle into Thorntail's chest, and drank his scent like she had her mother's milk when she had been a kit. She stayed in that position until Thorntail left her to go sit his vigil.

Rosethorn watched him go, her mind blank. Her body was exhausted after that battle, she had been hyper-energetic before but now she felt like she had been running at breakneck speed into the wind for the past three moons. She turned, and began to trudge towards the warrior's den.

She was stopped in her tracks by a cracked voice. "You love him, don't you?"

She stared at the cat that had spoken to her, Hazetail. The old she-cat was sitting just a tail-length away from Rosethorn's position, and the ginger furred former ThunderClan cat wondered how long she had been there. "Of course," was Rosethorn's response.

"He's half-ShadowClan, half-RiverClan," Hazetail pointed out, as if that fact had been void in Rosethorn's mind. "You're pure-blooded ThunderClan. You don't match."  
This was actually the first cat that had truly commented sourly on the relationship that Rosethorn had with Thorntail since she had retreated to RiverClan. She supposed that it was because the time of cheerful peace had faded, and all cats would feel stronger bonds with their Clan. But even so, the connotation stung. "Yeah…yeah, we do," she stuttered. "We love each other. We've gone through a lot…we've overcome a lot of tragedy, and now we're ready to be happy."

Hazetail shook her head. "Rosethorn," the old she-cat began, "I'm not saying any of this to make you feel bad, but out of concern for your well-being. I personally could care less about the hearts of two nursery kittens like Thorntail and yourself, but _they_," she raised her gaze to silverpelt, "they care very deeply."

Rosethorn instinctively flattened herself onto the earth, as if trying to get as far away from StarClan as possible. StarClan had always frightened her, ever since that night, when under the very starry warriors' noses, Flamesoul –

"I'm giving you a warning," Hazetail growled. "You were a medicine cat, so surely you know what it is to fear StarClan. Though maybe not, considering what you've done…" Hazetail shrugged, and went on, "_Forbidden love always ends in tragedy_."

The foreboding message sent shivers down Rosethorn's spine. "No," she meowed without thinking, and traced her mind for anything to debunk the raving elder in front of her.

Hazetail went on speaking as if Rosethorn hadn't uttered a sound. "I'm sure you heard the gossip. For some reason, StarClan found it unfit for me ever to mother any kits with the tom I loved. Instead, I raised two unrelated she-kits, both of who had their mothers die within one moon of one another. Both would grow up to be beautiful. Both had their beauty capture the hearts of cats that were forbidden to them. StarClan ruined them both – but not before nearly destroying everything those two loved."

Hazetail was senile. Had to be. Rosethorn tried to dig these two sure-truths into her mind, but they refused to bear any fruit. Instead, her vocal cords formed the proper noises to ask, "Why…why are you telling me this?"

"Because Thorntail is like a grandson to me, I suppose," Hazetail shrugged her shoulders, and Rosethorn recalled that one of the kits Hazetail raised was Lightsnow, Thorntail's mother.

_Beautiful mother who fell in love with a ShadowClan cat, beautiful mother who had kits, beautiful mother who got sick and died, beautiful mother who would have one of her kits kill himself on the night he received his warrior name. Forbidden love…tragedy… _

"I don't want anything to hurt him," Hazetail went on. "Oh, I know he's had…relations…that are outside the warrior code. But that was never love; he never would've sacrificed anything for any of those she-cats. But then…then he suddenly actually takes a pretty female from her Clan and invites her into his own. I find this disturbing.

"RiverClan is about to go into war with ShadowClan, Rosethorn. It would be a fine time for StarClan to cut one of you two short, huh? Every case of love outside of the boundaries results in horror. I'm urging you to prevent that horror. Maybe it's not too late to receive StarClan's mercy."

…

Rosethorn threw herself down on the moss in her den, telling herself that the shivers she felt crawling up and down her spine were from the cold, and not from the truth she read in Hazetail's words. It was true, after all. She couldn't think of any story of a forbidden relationship that didn't end in tragedy. None of the legends or tales – well, that made sense. No cat would tell legends of a pair of cats who fell in love inside a taboo, they would only tell sad stories, to discourage those of future generations to participate.

No, instead, she would focus her mind on what she knew to be fact, not garbled legends of old used to frighten kits. She knew Thorntail's mother had died. Spottedlight, if what she had with Runningstar could be called 'forbidden love' (both were questionable. If they loved each other was up in the air, and since Spottedlight had technically been both a WindClan and a ThunderClan cat at the same time, the forbidden part was arguable) had been executed – as had Runningstar. Tawnyleaf…she didn't know enough about Tawnyleaf's past to properly judge that. And then there was Ebonypool and Marshclaw. Rosethorn chased that thought away, recalling how she had seen Marshclaw be struck down with her own eyes. _Did Ebonypool know yet?_

No, Rosethorn told herself. Cats dying wasn't enough to say something ended in tragedy. If one were born, one would die. With that logic, all relationships end in tragedy, because inevitably one lover would die before the other.

She redid the statistics in her head. Lightsnow left behind Smokestar, broken hearted and bitter, and two innocent kits; one of which would buckle under the pressure of the jealous tomcat's swipes and kill himself. Runningstar killed more cats than any other leader for many generations with his unleashing of The Blood, and Spottedlight had died hated and despised, but not before taking her own mother with her. Tawnyleaf had left behind…_Silverleaf_? Rosethorn shook that thought away, that was just a theory that had popped into her head on several previous occasions, and she had no proof to back that other than speculation. And Ebonypool was still alive and well, but then, Rosethorn didn't know if the hounds of tragedy would soon rock ThunderClan.

But in almost all of these cases, Rosethorn reasoned, the cats involved were deeply in love with each other. So much in love that they had been perfectly willing to die for their partner, if just to live in those few moons of bliss. Why would StarClan punish them, instead of the cats living in lust?

Thorntail, as Hazetail had stated, had played with she-cats from every Clan, along with loners and the occasional kittypet. Duststar did the same, though he invited the she-cat into his Clan first to make it somewhat Warrior Code appropriate – though, in a way, that made it worse. And then there was Flamesoul, who certainly hadn't felt any love for his conquest. They felt no love, yet acted as lovers, but they weren't punished. Was it the emotion of love that made StarClan rain fire upon you? The highest crime one could commit against StarClan was murder or wrongful penetration; it was to love someone that you shouldn't? How could you love someone wrong?

She raised her eyes to the roof of the den, as if she could see through it and see the heavens, where the warriors of StarClan were welcoming Listeningecho into their ranks. She could envision so many past warriors glimmering back at her, cats that were supposed to protect the innocent Clan cats. Yet their Warrior Code, the code that, according to Hazetail, Rosethorn would endure tragedy for breaking, demanded that Rosethorn be sacrificed to Flamesoul so that ThunderClan would live to the next generation. They flaunted warmth and love, claimed to be angels of justice, and then threw her to the bloodthirsty demons.

She and Thorntail had already seen tragedy. Surely, StarClan felt that they had already paid in advance for their crimes against the Warrior Code?

She didn't ponder the thought much longer. Soon her pale eyes fluttered closed, and she fell into the warm comforting cloud of sleep.

…

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**There was originally going to be more, but I decided just to call it quits and save that for another chapter. Thanks for reading! If you review, I'll give you... a... Hazetail plushie? Did I give one of those out yet? I don't know, but please, please, please review! **

**Thank you! **


	12. Chapter 10

**Lunarmaster54- Hey, I got it up in time! YAY!**

**Tainted Lullaby - -hides in box- There's no need to use that! I got it up! See? SEE?!**

**feathercloud13 - Yeah, I didn't like Hazetail either. I don't know if you mean the character or just how she just pops out of nowhere, but I'm referring to the latter. I mean, I needed somebody to stick the warning in their heads for the conflict of the rest of the story, and I was getting tired of trying to find ways to subtly stick it in. So I stopped and just plopped it in the first place I could find. xD **

**Squirrelflightlover- How could I forget you? You're one of my more regular reviewers!And yes, I'd LOVE for you to draw a picture of Rosethorn and Thorntail. And yes, I'd want to see it!!!!**

**Dewkit - I can't give away how it's going to end! xD But come on, can you really say this is the first "foreshadowing" I've done? I mean, rread the story's summary...**

**MushroomT - Yeah, typos...that's one of my biggest flaws, I think. I'm a horrible proofreader, and I'm always too impatient for betas, so... Thanks for the review!**

** - Heh, well, thanks for coming back and reading!**

**Black Wolf Jangashi(sp) Lover - GAW!! I updated! And here -gives Listeningecho plushie - That one's one of a kind, just for you 'cuz you asked!**

**xxsheeraxx - That's...that's one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. Thank you!**

**shadowheart - Oh, trust me, happy or sad, I don't think anyone will be disappointed with the ending... **

**Lunarobi Pride - GAW!!! -jumps back when she suddenly appears- Thanks for the review! (And yes, I believe you've mentioned the awesomeness of Crimsonspirit numerous times. xD ) **

**Kanto de la Akvo - It's Tuesday, and I got it out! Thank you for your review!**

**Well, as promised, here it is! Definitely not as high-quality as usual ( You could tell I more or less said 'screw it' with the description in the later parts and focused more on raw dialogue ) but I got it out in time. Anyways, this chapter is a tad rushed and blah, but I noticed that one of the reasons I sometimes take sooo long is because there's a conversation I feel REALLY needs to happen, but I can't get it just right...so I said, 'Screw it, the conversation is happening the way it happens!' Oh, and there is hints at - no, not hints, downright point blank - acknowledgement of incest in this chapter. So... if you makes you feel uncomfortable, I apologize!!!  
**

**Enjoy, **

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**The moon was high the sky, wide and alert like a watchful eye of a mother watching over her young kittens as they began to flood the hollow. Thorntail bounded down, trying to outrun two of the Clanmates at his flank.

As he skidded down the slope towards the four great oaks, he couldn't help but notice the expressions of his Clanmates as they made the final mental preparations for the Gathering. All of them had their shoulders squared and eyes narrowed, most had unsheathed claws, and some others had their fur bristling so they looked twice their size. They were reacting to the ShadowClan scent that was wafting towards them, and were practicing intimidation tactics.

Thorntail, however, felt that ShadowClan would be much more disturbed if they were as cheerful and good-natured as ever, as if the death of their deputy hadn't even fazed them. Nothing frightened a cat more than a cat that couldn't be frightened. And Thorntail, at the very least, was going to give them the illusion of that cat.

When Thorntail came to the bottom and was safely nestled in the hollow, he sniffed the air and found that neither ThunderClan nor WindClan had arrived yet. Instead, RiverClan had padded into a nest of ShadowClan cats, which were clearly just as antagonistic as their watery counterparts – as illustrated by the furious hissing that they greeted their forestmates with.

It was almost like a preparation for a battle. The warriors of each Clan lined up in neat rows, facing each other, hissing a spitting. Thorntail rushed to the edge of RiverClan's, and found himself face to face with a bristling ginger tomcat.

"Hello," Thorntail, having been an acquaintance of Foxheart's for many moons, greeted the fire-pelted tom so cheerfully it was almost sarcastic. "What's new in ShadowClan?"

"Nothing," Foxheart growled, flattening his body against the earth, "but I'm fairly certain that there will be new additions to StarClan soon."

"Yes, I've heard your Clan declared war with the mighty RiverClan. That seems silly – you know, they have the mighty Thorntail with them. I wonder if StarClan is going to have an overpopulation problem by the time we're through with you?"

"If I were you, _mighty _Thorntail, I'd just run back on over to ThunderClan again, see if they'll take traitorous filth like you back. I'm ashamed that you have ShadowClan blood in your veins."

Thorntail heard a cat howl to his left, so he swung his broad head to see what the damage was. He didn't know who had made the initial strike, but now there was pair of ShadowClan and RiverClan apprentices locking claws and rolling around the hollow. It took a single heartbeat for the rest of their Clanmates to lunge at one another.

Thorntail wasn't completely sure if he had swiped at Foxheart first or if Foxheart had tried to tackle him first, but whatever the case was he and the ginger warrior were now circling one another, scanning their opponent for the best point of attack to properly dispose of him. Around them, the waves of both Clans had fallen in on one another, biting and clawing with all the skill and knowledge they had gained throughout the seasons, thrilling when a gush of enemy blood rushed into their mouths.

Eventually, Thorntail knocked Foxheart into the poorly named gray ShadowClan female, Whitesky. Whitesky, so surrounded that she was by a mixture of both RiverClan and ShadowClan, instantly assumed that the cat knocking into her was an enemy, and went about slashing her Clanmate with great feeling, until Foxheart was able to frantically convince her that she was fighting a fellow ShadowClan warrior.

The picture was amusing, and Thorntail made a mental note to tell Tawnyleaf about it when he came back to camp, but quickly had his attention grabbed by something else. Jadeitepelt, the oldest elder in all of RiverClan, had wisely removed himself from the main brunt of the fighting. However, this didn't stop a pair of ShadowClan apprentices from focusing their sights on him. They were approaching him threateningly, with their tails lashing and their eyes glinting. Thorntail instinctively leaped to Jadeitepelt's side, and hissed threateningly at the younger cats.

One of them, a black-and-white tom, stopped in his tracks instantly, and looked at Thorntail with wide orange eyes speckled with wonder. "Smokestar?"

Thorntail felt his muscles tighten as the name fled from the patchy apprentice's mouth. The fires of rage offering his muscles the proper energy, he flew towards the tom, completely ignoring the other befuddled ShadowClan apprentice.

He landed on the apprentice with an aura of grace, and didn't even have to attempt to shift so he could complete a proper pin; instead, the sheer power of a cat of Thorntail's height and weight knocking into him had the apprentice's legs buckled neatly with no hope for escape. "I'm not Smokestar," Thorntail snapped. "We both have gray fur, but so do a lot of cats in the forest! Do you stop in the thick of battle and ask every single gray cat you see if they're your Clan leader? This must happen to you a lot," he purred, referencing having an enemy warrior simply knock into you and win a pin. The other apprentice, a bluish gray she-cat started to run to her denmate's aid, and Thorntail politely batted her away before continuing. "Now, to make things simpler I'll break the differences down for you. I have blue eyes. He has sickly-dirt green eyes. I smell like the river. He smells like the filth of a murdering Clan. Ah ta ta," he cooed, when the cat tried to wriggle free. He placed a forepaw on the tom's head to keep him still. "Now this is important. I'm teaching you a lesson so that you never make the mistake in the thick of battle again. It can be…" he paused, as if scanning his mind for the proper word, "…deadly. Now," he continued, "I admit we are both of great stature in height. But he is slightly taller, so that he can stretch around and keep his head up his as_uh_- "

He didn't get to finish making his comparisons, because he was suddenly dropped onto the forest floor when some cat grabbed the apprentice's improperly pinned body and relentlessly pulled him out from under the RiverClan tom, and then using gravity as an unwitting accomplice to finish the job.

He turned to see who the cat was, and he embarrassed himself by letting a shameful kitten's squeak of surprise.

"Still bullying those smaller than you, eh, Thorntail?" Smokestar asked, placing the apprentice neatly on the ground. The black-and-white cat quickly scurried off, clearly not willing to be the victim of another one of Thorntail's lessons.

Thorntail's whiskers twitched. "No, Smokestar…now _you're_ getting me confused with yourself. You see, _you're_ the one who picks on those weaker, _I'm_ the one who-"

No cat seemed interested in letting Thorntail finish his insults today, because Smokestar had turned away and was making his way towards the Great Rock. "Excuse me Thorntail, but I have to pull my head out of my…er…hiney, and stop this."

Smokestar slithered through the wave of cats like a snake, and flew onto the Great Rock. "Great StarClan, have you all gone mad?" he yowled, in an attempt to get the battling cat's attention. He failed, but when StarClan themselves offered their voice by clouding the light of the moon, every claw sheathed, every body flattened to the earth, and every eye rose fearfully to the heavens above. Thorntail was among them, and he quietly noted that the warriors of Silverpelt had never looked closer or more vengeful than they did now, hiding beneath a cloak of darkness – the rolling clouds.

"Fighting at a Gathering," Smokestar scolded, and glanced at where the moon was still just visible behind a thin cloud. "We both certainly have a dispute to settle, but it is with us, our two Clans – RiverClan and ShadowClan – we have no need to declare war on StarClan themselves." A pause. "At least ShadowClan doesn't. I'm just _assuming _that-"

"Well, you know what they say happens when you assume," Duststar hissed, the old tom clambering onto the Great Rock to address the two Clans alongside Smokestar.

Smokestar just stared blankly at him. "So you're saying that I shouldn't assume that RiverClan has no need to lock claws with StarClan? What is your Clan doing, having kitten sacrifices?"

"If RiverClan wants to have kitten sacrifices, then we will have kitten sacrifices with or without ShadowClan's consent!"

"Wait, so you're telling me that you _are_- " Smokestar began, but broke off, probably recalling that Duststar was slightly senile and that while the sun was shining in his eyes, there were no birds to catch. "Right," he eyed the moon, which was beginning to shine brightly again now that the cloud had moved on. "Well, ThunderClan and WindClan still haven't arrived, so it would be mouse-brained and silly to start the Gathering now. Oh—wait. I apologize, here comes ThunderClan."

Not yet time to begin the meeting, Smokestar leapt down from the stone with ease, and started towards the ThunderClan leader to greet her, but stopped in his tracks as if something startled him.

Thorntail followed Smokestar's line of sight, and saw that beside Streamstar there was not only Sandpelt and Shrewtail – the deputy and a senior warrior of ThunderClan – but also a pair of she-cats; one a golden-brown tabby and the other a bluish gray. Thorntail recognized them instantly. One was Mapleleaf, and the other was the young Skyclaw. The deputy and a warrior of WindClan.

Thorntail eyed the ranks of ThunderClan warriors, and noticed that Silverleaf was also among them, having a quiet conversation with his sister, Twilightfur as he entered the hollow. Were things so bad in WindClan that they were joining ThunderClan? He vaguely recalled Blackshadow making an accidental remark about Silverleaf the other day. Had Silverleaf rejoined ThunderClan? Hadn't he been exiled?

Thorntail noticed Blackshadow among his Clan, and started towards his dark-pelted friend. When he came closer, he noticed that Blackshadow was laying lazily on his side, speaking to the same cat that Thorntail had been fighting with earlier – Foxheart. Foxheart had a torn ear and was bleeding, but Blackshadow wasn't questioning what happened. And, from the looks of things, no ThunderClan cat was reacting to anything strange about the ShadowClan and RiverClan cats, even though cats of both Clans were giving each other death glares.

"Hello, Blackshadow! Foxheart," Thorntail greeted, sitting down on his haunches beside the ThunderClan warrior and giving the ShadowClan one a polite nod of acknowledgement. Scrap earlier almost completely forgotten Thorntail asked, "What's new in your Clans?"

He ignored Foxheart's abrupt retreat without an excuse, and so did Blackshadow as he replied, "Shrewtail's apprentice, Gingerpaw, was made named a new warrior."

"Gingerpaw…Gingerpaw… Silverleaf's sister?"

"Younger one, yes. And it's Gingerheart now. She's over there," Blackshadow nodded towards the young warrior, who was quietly sharing tongues with a few RiverClan cats.

"So…now ThunderClan doesn't have any apprentices?"

"We will soon," Blackshadow pointed out. "We've had a lot of kits. In order to mentor them, almost every warrior will have to have an apprentice. It's going to be hard, but in just a few seasons our warrior population will double." Blackshadow stopped speaking, and looked at Thorntail, concerned. "Your muzzle's bleeding on the left side."

Thorntail blinked. Was it? "Oh, I…I ran into a tree."

Blackshadow looked around. "A lot of RiverClan and ShadowClan cats are running into trees a lot, then. Pretty recently, too."

"Well, it's an epidemic. You're walking along, and suddenly a tree just grows out right in front of you, and before you can stop, _BAM_," Thorntail's sudden howl made Blackshadow jump, "you ran into a tree. Painful, very painful."

"Well, as long as those trees remember that you're not supposed to draw blood at Gatherings."

Thorntail was about to reply with a witty retort, but he was distracted by the rumble of paws rushing into FourTrees. He turned to see the WindClan cats entering. "Wow," Thorntail breathed, looking at the numbers, "Silverleaf must've really been getting lucky. I didn't think there were so many WindClan -- " he broke off when he saw the reason why WindClan's population seemed to have doubled.

There were of course, the actual WindClan cats: The leader, Timidstar, the medicine cat, Graycloud, and then Yewpelt and Moortail, but there were also several ThunderClan cats in the group. Thorntail recognized his old Clanmates with ease: Icepelt, Beakclaw, Badgerclaw, and Shrewtail. Curiously, most of these new additions to WindClan were toms. Toms being a breed of cat that WindClan had been particularly short on recently.

"Did WindClan and ThunderClan trade warriors?" Thorntail asked, nodding at Shrewtail who rushed to meet his former apprentice, Gingerheart.

Blackshadow shifted uncomfortably. "Not exactly," he sighed. "We're just uh, borrowing each other's warriors to learn different training techniques and to… well, I'm sure Streamstar and Timidstar will explain it."

Thorntail flashed his gaze to the shadow beneath the Great Rock, where all the Clan leaders were sitting. The new dynamics of the Clans was a comical sight. Timidstar and Streamstar were chatting and giggling with one another like a pair of she-cat apprentices gossiping, while Smokestar and Duststar were both shifting around and looked to be using all their strength not to rip each other's throats out right there. If Timidstar or Streamstar noticed, neither acknowledged it, they just went on gabbing.

"So where's Rosethorn?" Blackshadow asked suddenly.

"Back at camp," Thorntail answered. "She really just joined RiverClan, she can't be expected to come to the Gathering and represent us. I'm assuming Applefur and Ebonypool stayed behind as well?"

"Yup, Ebonypool's going to kit really soon and can't take the risk, and Applefur has kits to watch. Blazekit's getting to be quite a pawful," Blackshadow meowed with a touch of pride. More glumly he added, "And…and well, she wasn't in the mood to come anyways."

"Applefur? Not wanting to come to the Gathering and gossip with the she-cats of other Clans? Are you sure we're talking about the same cat?"

"Well…recently…she's been a little glum. A little _melancholy_."

"Why? She seemed fine when I spoke to her the other day."

"Well, it was a little after that." Blackshadow hesitated. "You remember how Applefur was supposed to raise Spottedlight's kits, Hollowkit and Iriskit?"

"Yeah, she called them Cruelkit and Evilkit, I remember."

"Well, she's not allowed to finish raising them both. In one of the…agreements Timidstar and Streamstar made with one another, since the're the kits of WindClan's former leader and deputy…uh…_thing_…" No cat really knew how to classify Spottedstar's rank. "Timidstar said they were WindClan kits."

"That's ridiculous! Spottedstar had ThunderClan blood, her mother was ThunderClan's deputy and…"

"That's what Streamstar said," Blackshadow agreed, "So they came to an agreement. Since the kits were technically half ThunderClan and half WindClan, and there were two of them, they decided that each Clan would get one kit. WindClan wanted Hollowkit because-"

"He's a tom," Thorntail finished for him.

"Yeah, and ThunderClan got to keep Iriskit. Applefur's crushed, she really loved him."

Thorntail stared blankly at Blackshadow. "She nicknamed him Evilkit."

"Yeah, but you could see the love. And Iriskit's not happy either. I don't think anyone thought about asking the kits what they would like to do. But now Hollowkit's going to finish up his kittenhood in another Clan."

Thorntail looked around the hollow; at how all the WindClan and ThunderClan cats were intermingled as if they were one. Cynically he thought, _I wonder if he'll even notice. _

…

"Wake up!"

The slumbering Rosethorn felt a sharp nudge in her shoulder, and jerked her head towards the cat responsible. "Tawnyleaf?" she mewed looking at the golden she-cat curiously. "What is it?" Still groggy and not making complete connections Rosethorn suddenly became panicked. "You didn't hear me compare you to a dog in my dream didn't you? Because the she-cat was _really _pretty and - "

Tawnyleaf stared at her like she had just grown another paw and had smacked her

with it. "Does Thorntail know you're dreaming of pretty she-cats, and not of him?"

Rosethorn meowed a quick apology. "Well, why'd you wake me up, anyway? Are they back from the Gathering?"

"No."

"Then why'd you wake me up?"

Tawnyleaf shrugged again, her whiskers twitching. "Hazetail was giving me one of her famous rants, and I needed and excuse to get away from her. So I said I had to speak to you about something important, and now here I am, rudely awakening you so I can pretend to discuss something important." Tawnyleaf looked thoughtful. "Why'd you go to sleep so early, anyways? Hardly anyone's in camp, there's a lot of things to do. Terrorize kits, confuse elders, make dirt in our Clanmate's nests and blame it on some other mark. Speaking of which, stay away from Fishclaw's nest. I left him a present."

Rosethorn eyed the pretty she-cat. It was weird; Tawnyleaf spoke and acted very similar to Thorntail. But where she felt warm and safe with the gray tomcat, she always felt so cold and instinctively alert and frightened when she was with Tawnyleaf.

Tawnyleaf cocked an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like I'm about to slash your throat open? Because, you know, I often act towards my peers the way they expect me to act."

"Hazetail was scolding you?" Rosethorn asked, changing the subject. "She went on a rant to me the other day too. Out of the blue. Thorntail says he cares about me, he goes to do something else, and then she just…" Rosethorn trailed off, not wanting to insult the old cat.

"Pops out and starts telling you that StarClan's out for your blood?" Tawnyleaf finished the sentence for her. Tawnyleaf rolled a pair of green irises. "Ignore her. She just blows little coincidences out of proportion."

"Why was she yelling at you?"

"Well, I asked for it," Tawnyleaf admitted, flopping down in what would normally be Thorntail's nest beside Rosethorn. "I went to her and lashed out because…well, I think Duststar more or less promised me a deputy position, and I'm sort of disappointed that Tigerflame got it instead."

Rosethorn regarded the other she-cat for a moment. Tawnyleaf wanted to be deputy? "Duststar chose Tigerflame."

"Only because Hazetail probably coerced him. Duststar practically told me that he was giving me Melodypaw to mentor so that I could be his deputy if something happened to Listeningecho. And then, something happens to Listeningecho and I get pushed to the side. I'd…I'd bet that the moment I got Melodypaw Hazetail went to work reminding Duststar what a poor deputy I'd make… You're thinking it too," Tawnyleaf growled, possibly seeing the doubt spread across Rosethorn's face. "Look, I know I don't seem like leader material, but I actually _am_. I've seen how bad this forest is – you have too," Tawnyleaf added. "Everyone's so busy looking at their Clans as a whole they don't see the single cats crumbling. Cats are getting away with horrible atrocities, and as long as no one gets killed, they get to get away with it. As leader, I could change that." Tawnyleaf chuckled at herself, as if she had said something mouse-brained. "Not right away of course…but maybe get things started so that one day the entire Warrior Code could be altered to protect individual safety _as well as_ Clan safety."

Rosethorn just stared in wonder at the beautiful golden she-cat. Her mind was telling her to calm down, but her instincts were howling at her to leave the den right then and there. Why was she so apprehensive around her? They had almost identical pasts, as far as Rosethorn could tell. They were both medicine cats, and from the way Tawnyleaf spoke, someone probably scarred her some way too. She was independent and courageous like Thorntail, and if Rosethorn loved Thorntail, surely she would like Tawnyleaf too.

"Doesn't that sound _nice_?" Tawnyleaf asked in regard to her speech. There was an edge to her tone, clearly irritated that Rosethorn hadn't responded straight away.

Rosethorn still didn't respond properly. All this talk of Tawnyleaf and Hazetail was making her remember yesterday when: "Yesterday…yesterday, Hazetail told me that forbidden love always ends it tragedy." Tawnyleaf's ears pricked. "She said that StarClan would make sure that their laws were followed. Do…do you think that's true?" More personally she added, "Was it true for you?"

Tawnyleaf hesitated. "No…no, that's a lie."

Rosethorn brightened. "So…what you had…did it not end unhappily?"

"It did I suppose," Tawnyleaf admitted, making Rosethorn flinch. "But not

because of StarClan. Because of me. Me and the uh…cats around me. Duststar, Lightsnow, Hazetail too." She chuckled softly. "Oh, I made it look like it was StarClan, but it was me." She paused. "I dislike cats that can't take responsibility for their actions and instead blame others. I admit to being responsible. I myself made it end in that disgusting way, just as I began it by becoming pregnant with kits when I was a medicine cat."

Tawnyleaf trailed off, and Rosethorn found her gaze magnetically pulled towards the green emeralds that were set into the lovely golden face. Tawnyleaf's voice always dripped with a large amount of emotion, whether it be happy and nonchalant, as it usually was, or emotional and pained as it was now. But her eyes, her pale leaf-green eyes were always expressionless, _dead._ Rosethorn had had a theory for many moons now, from small comments that had been dropped, and from Tawnyleaf's appearance. If Tawnyleaf had a pelt silver like the moon and not gold like the stars, she would be a perfect, carbon reflection of – "Silverleaf." Rosethorn's throat rang the word into the air, making Tawnyleaf jump.

"What…what did you say?" Tawnyleaf asked, a tremor entering her tone.

Rosethorn flattened her ears against her head, embarrassed by what she had done.

"I uh…I said… I said…" she trailed off, not sure how to continue. "Those kits you got pregnant with. One of them was the WindClan warrior, Silverleaf wasn't it?"

Tawnyleaf doubled back as if Rosethorn had struck her, before she shook away the confusing and came forward again. She spoke through gritted teeth, each word dripping with venom. "What. Gives. You. That. Id_eeaa_?" She slurred the last word, cocking her head to one side as if she was asking an innocent quarry.

Rosethorn looked to the exit of the den, checking to be sure a cat would hear her if she called for help. Sure enough, she saw Silentsong and Dustyfoot lazing around by the fresh-kill pile. "Uh…well…" she turned back to Tawnyleaf, and tried to keep her voice from shaking. "The way you just reacted, for one."

"My kits are dead," Tawnyleaf growled. "That's what Duststar believes, that's what Hazetail believes, that's what the whole Clan believes. That's what _you_ believe too, okay? You'll believe that as long as you live. Or uh…" Tawnyleaf's whiskers twitched with amusement, "You'll live as long as you believe that. Understood? You'll keep quiet about this." Possibly recalling Rosethorn's earlier concerns, she mocked Hazetail's voice, "If you tell anyone, it'll end in tragedy and _StarClan will punish you_."

The light filtering through the den suddenly vanished as a dark cloud wrapped itself around the moon. The only thing Rosethorn could see was the other cat's _flashing emerald eyes as cat inched forward slightly, pushing Rosethorn deeper into her mossy bedding. The full moonlight finally returned and glittered through the roof of the den, landing neatly on the ginger cat's fur, making it glimmer and sparkle as if they were saying, _Yes, we StarClan approve.

The memories mixing with reality made Rosethorn suddenly dispose of all rational thought. Instead just a single two-word chant – like the Clan announcing a new warrior's name – rang through her mind. _Never again, Never again, Never again, Never again…_

Rosethorn's voice was possessed by a vengeful demon, fore it spoke without permission. "_Get away from me you rotten piece of fox-dung, or I swear _I'll_ kill _you_!_"

Right then the light returned, and instead of a large, lustful tomcat, there was instead a very amused Tawnyleaf. "It's easy to forget that even kits have claws," she purred. "You looked so insane that you almost had me frightened." A pause. "_Al-most," _she emphasized, separating the final word syllable by syllable.

…

"Cats of all Clans!"

Timidstar's howl from the top of the Great Rock demanded every cat's full attention. The WindClan leader waited until every cat's head was raised to her before she continued. "I welcome you to the Gathering. Uh…" she hesitated here, her voice shaking, truly living up to her name as if she just realized she had almost every cat in the forests' attention on her. "Streamstar, would you like to begin?"

Thorntail stifled a purr at that. Timidstar had never been leader material. In fact, she had become leader hardly two moons after receiving her warrior name. She had never been a deputy. The only reason she now held such a powerful position was because, at the time, she had been the only warrior in WindClan who had trained an apprentice – so she was the only cat officially eligible. She was still immature, and was as flighty as any young warrior. Just after the previous Gathering, she had almost taken Thorntail as her mate for the night. And would have succeeded, if Thorntail's little warriors hadn't been busy patrolling.

"Very well," Streamstar meowed stepping forward. "ThunderClan has much good news. We welcome a new warrior to our ranks. Shrewtail's former apprentice, Gingerheart."

There were murmurs of congratulations from cats of all four Clans. Thorntail wasn't surprised; the young she-cat had always been quite popular even with her questionable heritage.

"But even better news is that while we had some of our land on loan to ShadowClan for the past few moons," Streamstar's words were dripping with cynicism as she acknowledged publicly for the first time how ShadowClan had been stealing her territory, "ThunderClan is taking it back now. We will be refreshing our scent-markers and continue patrolling the boundary as usual tomorrow at sun-high, and-"

"Streamstar," Smokestar stepped forward and cut her off, his stormy gray fur bristling, "what makes you think that ShadowClan is willing to return that land? We need those herbs, and we will not hesitate to fight to ensure that it stays in the paws of those who it most belongs. ShadowClan."

"_WindClan_ will make you think that you'll return your land," Streamstar retorted, not missing a beat, as if she had rehearsed this in preparation for Smokestar's outburst. "I direct this at both you and you as well, Duststar, all though you've shown no hostility towards us…" Cerulean eyes gleamed. "Until we announce otherwise, WindClan and ThunderClan are in alliance with one another and will defend ourselves and each other from any outside force."

Shocked yowls of protest from ShadowClan cats rang throughout the hollow, while amused purrs from the WindClan and ThunderClan cats rumbled through. The RiverClan cats were torn, some looked concerned at the new alliance, while others enjoyed seeing ShadowClan squirm.

Smokestar didn't seem phased however. He swiped his tongue around his mouth and shrugged his shoulders. "Very well. But I can't promise that we will allow you that scrap of land peacefully."

"If we scent any of your ShadowClan brutes on our territory, rest assured that we will punish you justly," Streamstar retorted. Obviously feeling the need to get the proper back up from Timidstar she asked, "Right?"

The WindClan leader nodded in agreement. "Right. Now…um…" Timidstar hesitated. "Well, that's really the brunt of WindClan's news too. Duststar, Smokestar? Which of you would like to go next?" As she spoke, Streamstar stepped backwards, finished with her announcements. Thorntail noticed that the ThunderClan leader didn't even pose the question to any of the other Clan leaders whether or not they had scented Rosethorn on any of their patrols. She didn't even mention that Rosethorn was missing.

Duststar rushed forward as if it were a race between him and Smokestar. Smokestar relented with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, and Duststar began. "My deputy, Listeningecho, has gone to hunt with StarClan."

Mournful mews of sorrow rippled throughout FourTrees. Some of them belonged to ShadowClan warriors. In fact, to Thorntail's shock, Smokestar looked genuinely surprised.

"The forest will mourn her," Smokestar meowed politely, which made Duststar flip towards him, tail lashing.

"And they will mourn you next, for killing her!" Duststar snapped. Smokestar recoiled, and Duststar turned back towards the listening cats. "Now then…the new deputy of RiverClan is Tawny – I mean, Tigerflame."

Normally, cats would ask Duststar to elaborate on how Listeningecho had passed on, but since the RiverClan leader had already placed the blame firmly on ShadowClan's shoulders, congratulations started to roll throughout the hollow instead. Though there were some angry mumbles from ShadowClan, one in particular, which was yowled out.

"A murderer deputy for a murderous Clan!"

Several ShadowClan cats leapt to their paws and yowled their support of the cat's outburst.

"He killed Marshclaw!" Some cat added.

"Marshclaw! Marshclaw!"

Thorntail turned his head to see Tigerflame, who had his head down and was shuffling his paws awkwardly, kicking up dust. Tigerflame was clearly still feeling guilt for the slaying of the ShadowClan warrior, and the barbs weren't making anything better.

Then Duststar seemed to see it fit to make things worse for his deputy, "Yes. Yes he did. And he will spill much more ShadowClan blood before this moon is out! Unlike you, Smokestar," Duststar growled, "when RiverClan feels the need to battle with another Clan, we announce it so that the other Clan knows of our hostilities. We don't send assassins in the night to murder deputies – without warning," he added smugly. "So here's your warning." He gave Smokestar one final glare before he added more chipperly, "Oh, yeah, and we have another apprentice, Melodypaw."

Smokestar let out a furious hiss, lashing his long tail with a fiery rage, though his voice was icily calm. "If it's a war you want, Duststar, it's a war you'll have."

"You just threatened to go to battle with Timidstar's and my Clan," Streamstar pointed out from her position on the back edge of the stone. "Is ShadowClan so mad that they would dare cross all three of us at once?"

There was a ruckus of support, but Smokestar simply ignored her. "I have an announcement of my own, if that's alright. A few nights ago one of our apprentices, Amberpaw, went hunting. We found her maimed corpse in the morning. I urge all Clans to be vigilant and to not allow apprentices to leave the camp after dark without an escort until the creature responsible is caught and killed."

The leader started to make some other generic announcements, but was interrupted by angry yowls of his own Clan.

"We know the creature responsible!" One bristling warrior yowled. "It's RiverClan! RiverClan made a direct assault on our land!"

Duststar's whiskers twitched. "Already? Wow, we're faster than I thought…"

Thorntail blinked curiously. ShadowClan thought that RiverClan had murdered one of their apprentices? What would give them that idea?

He didn't get to follow that path of thought for much longer. Some cat was nudging him

curiously in the side, and he turned, expecting to see Blackshadow. Instead, he was looking into the burning eyes of Ravenfeather, the ShadowClan deputy.

Thorntail offered her his curiosity with a simple, "What?"

Ravenfeather glanced at her leader who was speaking. "He's just going to announce that Stormpool's dead too, new kits in the nursery, and that sort of thing. Nobody really cares about those announcements, so maybe you'd instead like to hear a proposition. From me," she added, as if he wouldn't have figured it out. She gestured towards a shady spot a ways off from any other cat.

Thorntail misunderstood. "Um…sorry, Ravenfeather, but you see, I have a mate now, so I don't do that sort of thing anymore."

Ravenfeather stared blankly at him for several heartbeats before she shook herself. "No, it's nothing like that you mouse-brained fool. It's an offer. Come on," her amber eyes glittered. "I'm sure you'll be interested."

…

"Why do you want everyone to believe that your kits are dead?" Rosethorn asked, regaining her composure. "So what if Silverleaf's your son? Why is that such a big secret?"

The tawny she-cat hissed furiously, clearly enraged by how loud Rosethorn's voice was getting. "Silverleaf _isn't _my son," Tawnyleaf growled hastily. "What did we just discuss? My kits are dead. Silverleaf, as I'm sure you've noticed, is very much alive. At least he was last time I checked. But because of that fact, he can't possibly be my son! Now stop it with these crazy theories of yours. They're hazardous to your health."

"You wouldn't react like this if you weren't kin," Rosethorn retorted, reminding herself that all it would take was a yowl for help and the other warriors would come to her aid. Apparently Tawnyleaf had noticed that as well, because she had ceased her threatening stature. "Why did you disown him? Did…" she recalled Silverleaf's character. "Did he do something wrong?"

Tawnyleaf looked thoughtful. After a brief silence she asked, "Are you asking me this…hypothetically?"

"Sure." That was probably the only way Tawnyleaf would cooperate.

"_Well_," she drawled, "if Silverleaf hypothetically was my son, no, I didn't disown him because he did something wrong. No…no, no, no. What sort of mother would I be if I did something like that? A poor one," Tawnyleaf answered her own question. "Well, to make a long story short, when Duststar found out I was going to have kits, he chased me from the Clan, disgraced. But nevertheless, I was able to survive nicely because I had always been an okay hunter…and also because a nice ShadowClan tom that _might've_ been the father of my kits took pity on me,"

"Might've?"

"Shush. Anyways, he snuck me – us, actually, since I was pregnant - into ShadowClan's carrion place. And it was there that I gave birth to three kits," Tawnyleaf's voice was matter-of-fact, not demanding any pity at all, merely stating what was true and unarguable. "Rinoa the first, I guess, since the Rinoa in this Clan isn't the same Rinoa…and Twilight and Swiper. But Swiper couldn't ever pronounce his name, so eventually it eventually became Silver."

Rosethorn purred in amusement at that, but was silenced by a fierce look from Tawnyleaf.

The golden cat's voice dropped a pitch. "Just a few moons later I became pregnant again. And just after giving birth to two more mouths to secretly feed using ShadowClan prey, the tom helping me get by… died."

Rosethorn's heart skipped a beat. Tawnyleaf just stopped speaking, but neither her calm voice nor her authorative stature promoted any sort of sorrow for that tom. So Rosethorn could only offer an, "Oh."

"'Oh' indeed. So there I was, a young she-cat in the middle of a carrion place with five extra mouths to feed. Sure, the newborns could still drink my milk, but the other three, they had tasted blood and they wanted more of it. At first things were okay, but then they got a tad bit more…_desperate?_ Leaf-bare was coming, and prey would be scarce for everyone, especially rogues like me. So, in the end, I decided to see if I could get back into RiverClan. I met secretly with Hazetail. And," Tawnyleaf's voice dropped into a cold purr, "apparently Duststar had been speaking of me as if I were dead. It looked as if he would never forgive me if he felt I hadn't been properly punished. So Hazetail and I concocted a story of how all my kits had died. I hid mine in that one abandoned foxhole on the edge of RiverClan territory – I'm sure you've seen it. Anyways, Duststar welcomed me back. Now, the original plan was to get him to soften up on me. Love me again, and then we'd reveal our white lie he'd welcome my kits into RiverClan. He eventually loved me again, but why take the risk of ruining a good thing and tell him the truth?"

"So…so you let him go on believing your kits were dead?"

Tawnyleaf looked at her in horror. "No, no, no. That would be _lying_. Plus, I knew if any of them ever revealed themselves I would be in trouble. So…I would've – hypothetically, if I were in this situation, of course – killed them."

A thick cloud of silence entered the den, and for a moment Rosethorn's heart stopped beating as she looked into the eyes of a self-declared kitten murderer. She would've expected for when a cat confessed to murder to feel some sort of emotion. Anger, rage, or some perverse joy, maybe, like Silverleaf. But Tawnyleaf made her confession as easily as if she had just made a comment about the weather, and it took Rosethorn a few heartbeats to actually catch what she said. "You killed…I mean…you _would've_ killed…"

"I'll leave it to your imagination how I uh…_would've_ done it, if that situation had ever occurred with me involved. But I would've killed them, one. By. One. I tried to make it so that they wouldn't notice what I was doing... Personally, I think I did a pretty good job."

Rosethorn's voice shook. "I'm…I'm sure by this time your first litter could've taken care of themselves. You didn't have to - "

"Yes, yes, I _did._ For all I knew they'd run about and announce to the entire forest that I was their mother. They never seemed _too_ bright, and I was concerned they'd start to hate me for some reason. Oh, you know what they did?" Tawnyleaf asked suddenly, as if she had a piece of really juicy gossip in the midst of her horror story.

"Uh…no…"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure what they did either. But uh…you know that one cat, uh, _Gingerpaw_ in ThunderClan? She showed up eventually."

Rosethorn didn't understand. She wanted nothing more than to leave now, get away before Tawnyleaf did something else, but she felt cornered and frightened. "Yes, she was in your second litter so - "

Tawnyleaf silenced Rosethorn with a flick of her tail. "There was one ginger kit in my second litter. _He_ was a tom. And the other one was as black as night. Imagine my surprise when I came to my kits one day, and found my oldest daughter suckling my grandkits. Particularly alarming is that they, since they trusted me to prepare a spot for them in RiverClan, rarely left. The scents around the hole prove my point. None of the she-cats left. No loner cat came to see them. The only tom fit to give anyone kits was little Swiper. The brother. _So…" _Tawnyleaf's whiskers twitched. "I know StarClan said they only wanted cats of the same Clan to have kits, but I'm not sure if they wanted their inbreeding to be so…closely related?"

"That's disgusting!" Rosethorn snapped, not believing her ears. "Are you…are you trying to tell me that Gingerpaw is actually Silverleaf's _daughter_?"

"And uh…niece, too. Incest sort of mucks up the whole family tree thing. At least, that's my _theory_." Tawnyleaf shrugged. "I could be wrong."

Rosethorn blinked, still looking for some sign that Tawnyleaf was joking about these horrible things. "But…um…Twilightfur, Silverleaf, and Gingerpaw are all still alive. You didn't kill them."

"Well, I guess they got wise to the whole slowly murdering them thing and ran off. Gave me a scare when I came to them and found that they were all gone. But they never betrayed their mother, so…I win."

"That's…stop it with these ridiculous lies of yours! You're cra- No mother would ever do that to her kits!"

"She would if it was for a good cause," Tawnyleaf retorted. She rose to her full height. "Look, I had been harmed by so many toms. And I was a medicine cat – a sacred figure in this backwards culture of ours. So who knows what was happening to the _normal warriors_," she gestured towards Silentsong outside of the den. "I was the only cat who could possibly save the forest from completely breaking every female's spirit! And if Duststar found out that I had had kits…he certainly never would've made me deputy. They _had_ to die, otherwise all would be lost. You of all cats should identify. What would you have done if you were me?"

"I wouldn't have murdered my own children!"

"Well…" Tawnyleaf hesitated, "that's 'cuz _you're_ a mouse-brain! You know, in loner she-cats sometimes eat their kits if they can't feed them."

"That's to spare them from starvation, not to become deputy of RiverClan!"

Tawnyleaf looked so shocked a cat walking in would've thought that Rosethorn had just admitted to backwards matricide. "Rosethorn…think of your past. Think of what happened to you. Are you saying you wouldn't _kill _to prevent that from happening to anyone else? Just a few lives that no one will miss to prevent that…awful…monstrosity from happening once more?" Tawnyleaf shuffled her paws. "It happened twice to me, you know."

"You should've said something when you got pregnant with kits! Duststar seems like the type who would-"

"Send his foster-daughter away so that she wouldn't get a chance to squeal herself about the real reason why Duststar wanted her to be a medicine cat and away from prying eyes." Tawnyleaf read Rosethorn's shocked expression and elaborated. "No, no, I'm not saying Duststar did anything like _that_ to me." Rosethorn breathed a breath of relief, but then Tawnyleaf continued. "It was completely consensual."

…

"What's this proposal of yours?" Thorntail's voice was scarcely audible above the scathing voices of the Clan leaders as he settled himself down on the grassy floor.

"Something that will interest you," Ravenfeather promised, curling her tail, ignoring the four cats on the Great Rock. She paused, as if carefully choosing the proper words to use. "Now, _I_ don't know why, but apparently Smokestar finds it…unpleasant, to have to end up slaughtering his only surviving son on the battlefield." Thorntail had to stifle a purr at Ravenfeather's use of the word 'son'. Ravenfeather continued, her voice thick and breathy, as if she could already predict the outcome of the conversation. "So basically he's making one final offer to take you into ShadowClan's ranks. If you refuse this one, there won't be any more. You'll probably be too busy being dead to come join the most powerful Clan in the forest."

Most cats would take heart the deputy's threat, but Thorntail just made a sarcastic grunt. "Ah-huh," Thorntail rolled his eyes. "That's fox-dung and you know it. What's the real proposal?"

"Well, actually, considering the current relations with between Clan, it wouldn't go over well to have you suddenly appear in our camp. So, it would be better for everyone to know that you had been a spy the entire time. Planted in various Clans at different times to alert us when an attack was about to occur. All you would really be doing is coming back to the Clan you had been loyal to your whole life."

Thorntail didn't understand. "But I'm not a spy…"

"But the story fits. When we were fighting with ThunderClan, you just happened to be in ThunderClan, and now you're in RiverClan when we fight RiverClan. No cat's going to notice the few moons difference. Now, all you'd have to do to make the story _believable_ is to tell us when the proper time to attack would be…and of course, warn us when RiverClan is about to strike."

Thorntail bristled, catching on. Ravenfeather was trying to turn him into a traitor! "Is ShadowClan so pathetic that it needs spies to win a battle?"

Ravenfeather didn't flinch. "With as little bloodshed as possible, yes. It's best if we end this little dispute with RiverClan as fast as possible, and find the root of the true cause of my apprentice's murder."

"Wait…you know RiverClan didn't kill Amberpaw?"

"Call it a sixth sense, but I call it common sense," Ravenfeather snapped. "Since no cat in our Clan claims to have murdered your deputy – and that's certainly something a cat would gloat over – I doubt it was any of us that got her, either. Somebody picked them both off, and this battle is just a distraction from enacting our true revenge."

Thorntail hesitated. "But…you sent that patrol over to attack us at the border the other day…"

"Neither Smokestar nor I sent that out," Ravenfeather promised. "Believe me. We wouldn't do something so sloppy. That was just a group of vengeful vigilantes acting on their own." Ravenfeather looked away. "And now more cats will die because of their… over zealousness."

"ShadowClan could back down."

"It's a matter of pride now. But you can lower the body count," Ravenfeather rounded the conversation back to where she wanted it quickly. "Give your loyalties back to your birth Clan. Back to your father."

Thorntail asked one single question, "Why?"

"Because it can't hurt to have a Clan leader pulling for you. At some point you're going to need help, and at that point it wouldn't hurt to have a Clan leader pulling for you."

A beat.

"_I'll never need help from Smokestar._"

Ravenfeather's whiskers twitched. "Now, according to the great secret spite of StarClan, you're going to _eat_ those words."

Thorntail ignored her. "So…that's it then? That's the big proposal? An invitation to betray the Clan I love so I can enter the ranks of a Clan with scum like Smokestar sitting at the top?"

Ravenfeather narrowed her eyes. "It was an invitation to spare your life. The battles our two Clans are about to enter are not about territory or prey – it's _about spilling blood_. This was one attempt to avoid spilling yours."

"Thank you," Thorntail growled through gritted teeth. "Now do me a favor. Every time we speak you try to convince me to come join you. So I'm asking you politely. Unless we are on a battlefield and you're trying to kill me," he rose to his full height in an attempt to intimidate the ShadowClan she-cat, "_never approach me again_."

Ravenfeather was unperturbed, and she simply gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Easy promise to make. Unless I'm trying to kill you, I'll never come near you. This was the last attempt," added, rising to leave, but stopped and blinked, as if she just remembered something. "Oh, yes. Thorntail, before I go and never come near you again unless I'm trying to murder you, there's a question I have."

Thorntail flicked his ears, as if the deputy were a fly he could shoo away. "And that is?"

"Where's Rosethorn?"

Alarm shot through him. Neither Duststar nor Streamstar had made any mention of her in the announcements, so… "Why do you ask?"

Ravenfeather clicked her tongue against her mouth in thought. "Well, I've just been asking everyone." When Thorntail just stared at her, not accepting that as an answer, she went on. "It's just that Flamesoul's been walking around the hollow asking everyone if they had picked up any traces of her on their territory. Poor cat's frantic. There wasn't any signs of her presence in ShadowClan territory, so I was just wondering if maybe you guys in RiverClan had found something?"

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**Yeah, the conversation with Ravenfeather was slapped on there, but I needed to have there be one more offer posed to get on with the story. ^_^ **

**Uh...you'll notice that both Tawnyleaf and Rosethorn reference Gingerheart as Gingerpaw. This is because they didn't go to the Gathering, and therefore wouldn't know about the name change. As for the fox-hole that Tawnyleaf mentions she hid her kits in, it also appears in Volume 6 of the Warriors Series: you know, the one where Mistyfoot, Featherpaw, and Stormpaw were all kept captive.  
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**And I considered going more into Tawnyleaf's story, but I thought that might be boring, so I decided to just have her give the basic facts. If enough people WANT more of Tawnyleaf's past, I'll sneak it in some way, but again, it's not integral to the plot, so she had to be cut short. I'm sorry if her conversation with Rosethorn wasn't detailed enough - I hardly went into Rosethorn's head, but I think just the statements Tawnyleaf made is enough, personally. **

**-As for the little revelation about Gingerheart's origins (if anyone cares) I'll leave it up to you to decide which of Silverleaf's sisters was the one Tawnyleaf found suckling her. It was either Rinoa I or Twilightfur. I have an idea in my mind, but again, it doesn't effect this story one way or another, so I thought it unnecessary to include.  
**

**Review and get a newly-named Gingerheart plushie! YAY! **

**And the rule still stands: NEXT TUESDAY!!! At the very LATEST!!!   
**


	13. Chapter 11

**HA HA HA HA HA!!! You ALL thought I wouldn't do it. You all said to yourselves, "Well, that's what old crazy Roxie SAYS she's going to do, but she won't really update on Tuesday. She'll get distracted by something shiny, and leave us hanging. Let's go read Eixor's story about Thornrose and Tailthorn instead, now THERE's comedy." But I BEAT you all. HA!!! **

**...**

**Wow, I really need to calm down. I mean, I think I might change my updating day. Tuesday is WAAAY to busy for me. So... maybe Fridays or something. **

**But, either way, here's this chapter. It's short - 7 pages - but...a lot happens. **

**Now, since this is a rush job and I'm late, I couldn't check it for typos...but I'll reupload this chapter another time in a cleaner fashion when I have time to proofread. Right now, this is here so I got to keep my promise. -nods- **

**Oh, but one guest commented in my Burning Rose, Silver Thorns story that this reminded them of Twilight and I just feel the need to say that: I have never read Twilight. So any resemblance is purely coincidental and a little weird. **

**While this is the reupload of a chapter and I promised to answer reviews...I was doing that, and suddenly my computer decided to delete everything I wrote - which was a lot, and I'm too lazy to try again. Sorry! But trust me, I DO appreciate everything you guys did. Especially my older reviewers like xx-Secrets-xx, Mapleleaf and...GAW!! There's too many of you! Thank you so much!**

**

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**"A ShadowClan spy was spotted!"

The gurgling cry cut through the air like a hawk's talon, and Rosethorn snapped her neck towards Serpentpelt, who was rushing through the camp repeating her announcement. As if on a cue, every cat in the Clan started to scatter in preparation for an invasion, the queens ushering their kits into the nursery with the elders in toe, Blueherb grabbing the nearest apprentice to help her defend the sick and injured, with the rest of the warriors and apprentices rushing towards Duststar's den, waiting for their leader to appear and bark them orders.

Rosethorn joined them, flexing her claws in mental preparation. As she started on her way, she noticed Tawnyleaf brush past her in a merry little skip towards the RiverClan leader. Rosethorn watched her with blank eyes. It had just been the night before that Tawnyleaf had confessed to Rosethorn the horrid acts she had done to her kits, and because of that, Rosethorn hadn't slept a wink the night before. The scarlet she-cat had trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that any mother could do something so awful to the very creatures she brought into the world, but she didn't know exactly what to do. Should she tell Tigerflame or Duststar? But she had literally just joined RiverClan's ranks just over a moon ago, could she really afford to risk animosity by accusing one of the most popular warriors of the atrocious act of murdering three of her five kits?

And not only that, Tawnyleaf said that Duststar had shared intimate moments with his foster-daughter, and that one of the reasons he sent her away was because he feared that she would tell the Clan that he was a possible father of them. It would be the ultimate shame, for not only was Tawnyleaf the medicine cat, but she had also been acting as Duststar's daughter, so it was almost incest.

She recalled that Thorntail had gone out on an early-morning patrol with Cinnamonfur, and made a mental note to tell him when he came back. Yes, Thorntail could be violent and hotheaded, but usually only when there was physical harm being done to himself or those he cared about. And even if he didn't act in a docile way…Rosethorn honestly couldn't say if she cared to protect a she-cat who selfishly murdered her own young.

"Was there?" Duststar asked, in regard to Serpentpelt's announcement. His voice had a drip of excitement in its pitch. "What did you see, Serpentpelt?"

The short she-cat flattened her ears against her head. "A ShadowClan apprentice," Serpentpelt confirmed. "I was patrolling with Tigerflame and Silentsong. But," Serpentpelt rolled her eyes, "she wasn't very bright. Spying, in broad daylight? And she didn't even try to hide his awful stench."

Howls of outrage rippled through the Clan.

"Did you chase him away?" Tawnyleaf called out to Serpentpelt.

"No, Tigerflame sent Serpentpelt back here to inform everyone," Serpentpelt replied with a shrug, falling back into her old habit of referring to herself in third-cat.

While Serpentpelt was still speaking, excited greetings and questions were shot around the Clan as every eye fell onto the RiverClan deputy who was entering the camp with a limp, frightened looking white ShadowClan apprentice hanging from his jaws. Silentsong was walking close beside him, eyes wide and alert in case their terrified catch tried to make a run for it.

RiverClan let out howls of rage as they saw the poor apprentice, their cries almost as fiery as Duststar's eyes. "Well, well, _well_," he cooed, curling his tail as Tigerflame dropped the prisoner in front of his leader's paws, "What do we have here?"

"From what she's told me," Tigerflame meowed, "her name is Pearlpaw. She's Onyxpelt's apprentice."

"That doesn't tell me anything," Duststar snorted. "I don't know the names of ShadowClan filth," the Clan yowled in agreement, but Duststar just went on, "Who's Onyxpelt?"

"He was the piece of fox-dung that led the first attack on us the other day," Tawnyleaf pointed out helpfully. With more emotion she added, "When Listeningecho was found."

That statement made Duststar's fur bristle to twice his size. "So, she's the apprentice of that crowfood-eating coward?"

Rosethorn watched, unable to stay unimpressed, when the tiny Pearlpaw let out a furious hiss. "My mentor is _not_ a coward!"

"If not, then he's certainly a mouse-brain if he didn't teach you how you should react when you are captured by an enemy patrol," Duststar snapped, lashing his tail and for the first time acknowledging the captured spy. "Tigerflame, what did you find this…this…thing doing on our territory?"

Tigerflame hesitated. "Well," the deputy began, "it was on the border. She says she was chasing a vole and just stepped over the scent markers. I brought her here because- "

"You can scent the lies on her just as easily as you can scent her ShadowClan stink," Duststar purred, nodding with pride at his deputy.

"No!" Pearlpaw cried, her fur soft, kitten-like fur fluffing up like a cloud. "I really was chasing a vole! I – that one, that dark one," she nodded at Silentsong, "she saw me make the kill."

Silentsong, who had since her return had taken her seat in the ranks of the rest of her Clan, calmly called out, "For all I know that was a RiverClan vole."

"Stealing prey, too?" Duststar snarled. The anger RiverClan was feeling was heavy in the air, and Duststar allowed it to grow larger in silence for several heartbeats before he growled, "Well, she's clearly a spy. Who knows how long she was there, or what she saw? Tigerflame, kill her."

The order was said so swiftly and jollily that it didn't register right away in Rosethorn's mind. It sounded more like Duststar had just ordered Tigerflame to round up a few friends for a hunting patrol, and not just ordered his deputy to cut short a young apprentice's life.

Tigerflame looked just as surprised as Rosethorn. For a moment, the ginger tom didn't even move. "Excuse me?"

"She's a spy," Duststar repeated. "If we send her back home, who knows what information she's collected that she could tell Smokestar? We're in the middle of a war. We can't let anything slip through the cracks. We have to let ShadowClan know what we'll do to their spies. I said _kill her_."

Tigerflame still wasn't completely registering the situation. "You…you mean…right now?" His amber eyes were glittering with confusion.

"I think RiverClan deserves to see some of ShadowClan blood spilt for once, wouldn't you agree?" Duststar asked, and from the purrs RiverClan was offering him, every cat did.

As if in a trance, Tigerflame turned away from his leader and eyed the ivory-white cat just a tail-length away from him. Pearlpaw still had soft fur like a kit's and not the rough coat of a warrior, and taking that into account along with her size, Rosethorn guessed that she couldn't be more than six or seven moons old.

The apprentice had every right to feel frightened, and her fear scent wafted through the air. But aside from that, there was no evidence of any terror, instead Pearlpaw had her ears flattened against her head and her teeth bared, as if she was daring the giant RiverClan deputy to slay her.

Tigerflame looked impressed with her courage, and was about to say something, but Pearlpaw cut him off with a hiss. "Alright! Come on!" she snarled, flexing her miniature claws. "Kill me! Kill me just like you killed Marshclaw!"

Rosethorn recalled Tigerflame expressing his guilt over Marshclaw's death on the very night Duststar named him deputy, and that very emotion flashed in the amber irises. "Marshclaw?" Tigerflame asked, more to himself than to any other cat.

Pearlpaw jerked backwards. "You mean you don't remember? Oh, I see," Pearlpaw nodded, "you've killed so many you've probably even lost track, huh? Well, I'll be proud to go to StarClan the same way he did! So come on! I want you to kill me too, you murderer!" Pearlpaw's words were big, but her voice was young and not used to being used so much, so at the end of her rant her voice had raised into a kitten's squeak.

While most of the Clan found this amusing, Tigerflame looked horrified. "Duststar, you can't expect me to _kill_ a - "

"When you became deputy I told you that I wanted you to kill many more ShadowClan cats," Duststar pointed out, an edge of annoyance in his voice. "I thought we had an understanding."

"You made me deputy so I would murder innocent cats?" Tigerflame asked, swinging his head towards Duststar.

"Not innocent cats, no. ShadowClan cats. Tigerflame, there's a difference. It's not like I'm asking you to kill any of those struggling WindClan she-cats," Duststar's body shivered in a purr as he thought about it. "Now…now…now that…_that_ would be evil." A shrug. "I mean, you could've done it as a warrior, but I think it's more frightening to think of a Clan with a bloodthirsty deputy than just a bloodthirsty warrior, eh? I mean, they'd be terrified. And that's how you win a war. Now kill the apprentice."

At this point, most of the other Clan found it fit to shout out encouragements.

"Tigerflame! Tigerflame!"

"Kill her, Tigerflame!"

"Murder the filth!"

"Warriors to StarClan, Pearlpaw to Tigerflame!"

As Rosethorn looked around the Clan, she saw the only one or two other warriors looked awkward. She was about to go forward herself and ask Duststar to spare the poor cat, but before she could the leader spoke.

"Now Tigerflame, you're looking at me like I'm some sort of villain. Let me point you towards the real evil being in the vicinity," Duststar flicked his tail at the still-bristling Pearlpaw. "It's the fluffy kitten in front of you."

Tigerflame looked once more at Pearlpaw, and flexed his claws. For a moment, Rosethorn expected him to lunge forward and rip out her throat right then and there – it wouldn't have been hard, he probably could've done it half asleep, but instead, he just backed away.

Duststar watched him, a glint in his eye. His voice lowered into a growl. "I can't kill her myself, I still have a back injury from the last time I tangled with ShadowClan. But as my deputy, you can represent me at times when I can't do it myself. With that logic, kill the - "

Tigerflame cut off Duststar with a voice dripping icicles. "If, as your deputy, I have to murder cats who have barely been weaned from their mother," Tigerflame retorted, "then I humbly ask to be returned to my original position. Tigerflame, RiverClan warrior."

Silence coiled around the Clan, the only victim to escape being a tiny gasp from some apprentice near the medicine cat's den. Rosethorn's mouth dropped into a gape, and she didn't even register Tigerflame's words at first. Could a cat step down from being deputy? Was that even done? The deputy was named in the sight of StarClan. Could that be revoked?

It seemed so sudden to the former ThunderClan she-cat, but Rosethorn recalled that she wasn't very close to Tigerflame in the first place, so it would be doubtful that he would confide into her about any of his misgivings.

Duststar's eyes were narrowed into slits, and the old tomcat was visibly shaking. "Oh. Okay then."

His words were fiery and curt, but a flower of hope had started to grow in Pearlpaw's eyes, and Rosethorn was relieved for her. Even if Pearlpaw was a spy, she didn't think it was right to send the young cat to StarClan just for being loyal to her home. There was no way that Duststar would allow Tigerflame to quit, instead the RiverClan leader would simply spare –

But the flower wilted when Duststar continued, his words dripping with sarcasm. "I Duststar, leader of RiverClan say these words before StarClan and the body of Tigerflame so the spirits and soul of Tigerflame can hear and approve of my following proclamation. Tigerflame is no longer deputy of RiverClan. Instead…" Duststar looked thoughtful, and raised his gaze to the sky above him as if StarClan themselves would give him the answer. "I have not forgotten a promise I made once to a young she-cat. Neither have I forgotten the slayer of Stormpool, who was the murderer of Listeningecho. She has shown that she is willing not only to die for the Clan, but also to kill for the Clan. So," he went on, "the new deputy of RiverClan will be Tawnyleaf." In the very same breath, without giving any cat time to comprehend what he had just said he went on, "Now _Tawnyleaf_, kill Pearlpaw."

Pearlpaw's eyes flashed around, instinctively looking for an escape route, but she clearly found none that seemed favorable, because she stood her ground and stared defiantly into the group of RiverClan cats, not knowing which of them would come forward to execute her, as it was doubtful that she had ever made Tawnyleaf's acquaintance. She was young and she was justly terrified, but she had the heart of a warrior as she flexed her claws to defend herself from a mysterious new threat.

Rosethorn noticed several cats, which were probably inwardly protesting Duststar's decision as much as she was, suddenly start yowling in horror. Rosethorn wanted to run to Pearlpaw's side and defend her, but bulky RiverClan cats had the red warrior surrounded – she couldn't get there in time, she knew, but she found herself trying.

Tigerflame was standing at Pearlpaw's side, his amber eyes flashing across the crowd, a silent challenge for Tawnyleaf to come forward.

And she did.

All Rosethorn saw was a swipe and a small squirt of blood, and Pearlpaw was already a corpse at Duststar's paws. Above her, licking the scarlet off of her claws was Tawnyleaf, who was tossing a smug look at a baffled Tigerflame. "The crowd is _encircling_ you, Tigerflame. You forgot to check your flanks," Tawnyleaf started to explain how she did it without giving the former deputy enough time to defend the apprentice, but before she could the majority RiverClan cats were already surrounding her and offering her their congratulations for being deputy, blatantly ignoring the murder that had just taken place before their eyes.

"We have no room for weakness in RiverClan's hierarchy at this time," Duststar meowed to Tigerflame, but loud enough for every cat to hear. "We need a cat who isn't afraid to act. Who won't hesitate to kill if they need to in the thick of battle."

"It wasn't in the thick of battle," Tigerflame retorted, but in an oddly calm voice, as if still in shock at the brutality of what happened. "And it she is – was – barely an apprentice. I'll fight for RiverClan," the ginger tom added quickly. "But the warrior code says not to kill needlessly."

Rosethorn was still in shock herself, and was barely taking in the conversation Duststar and Tigerflame were sharing. Rosethorn had never actually seen a cat kill another before. They had happened around her during battles and such, but she had never seen it so closely. Or had she seen it? It had happened so fast – Rosethorn hadn't even noticed Tawnyleaf slip towards Pearlpaw, all she had seen was a single flick of a claw and the surprised cat was hunting with StarClan. Tawnyleaf had done it so fast, so quick, as if it hadn't even been an issue. As if Pearlpaw was nothing but a bug that needed to be squashed, like Pearlpaw was _nothing_. And the sheer speed and agility that she had committed the fatality was impressive. So impressive, that it surely had taken a lot of practice to master such an efficient tactic. How many other cats had Tawnyleaf killed? And she was the deputy now?

"It also says to follow your leader's orders," Duststar pointed out in response to Tigerflame's earlier statement. "The safety of RiverClan is far more important than the life of Pearlpaw."

Rosethorn could almost hear Streamstar's voice, _the safety of ThunderClan is far more important that the safety of Rosepaw. _

She had fled ThunderClan to escape the selfish leader and cruel medicine cat; it seemed she had simply traded a Clan's title.

"You didn't congratulate me."

Rosethorn had been so deep in thought she hadn't even noticed the new RiverClan deputy bound towards her. "Oh," Rosethorn meowed hastily, staring blankly at Tawnyleaf. "I'm sorry. Congratulations."

Tawnyleaf looked disappointed at the half-hearted acknowledgement, but didn't allow it to enter her voice. "Rosethorn," she purred, "there's no hard feelings between us, is there? I was completely honest with you is all. Do you not like honesty?"

Before Rosethorn could answer, a loud greeting rang through the air, and she turned to see Thorntail bounding towards her, his sapphire eyes glittering. "Hey, Rosethorn!" he purred, rubbing against her side. "You'd never believe the size of the fish I caught. Cinnamonfur's carrying it to the fresh-kill pile for me. It's large enough to feed half the – Oh, hi Tawnyleaf," the gray tom broke off when the noticed the triumphant murderer. He looked around at the cats around him, and probably instinctively tasted the mixed emotions in the air. "What'd I miss?"

"A lot, actually," Tawnyleaf meowed. "I'm the new deputy."

"But Tigerflame - "

"Resigned."

A brief pause, before, "Hey, why do I smell corpse?"

"Execution."

"Ah," Thorntail blinked in confusion, but didn't question it.

"Can I discuss something with you? Privately?" Tawnyleaf asked, jerking her head towards a quiet spot outside of the nursery.

Thorntail hesitated. "Rosethorn?" he asked, eyeing his mate.

Rosethorn shrugged, helpless. "Go for it."

She watched the two cats go, her ear twitching as she pondered what Tawnyleaf wanted to discuss. _An assassination plot? _She thought to herself, half-jokingly.

She tore her gaze away from her mate and his psychotic friend, and instead eyed the Clan around her. While there was some who were clearly pleased with Tawnyleaf's new rank, there were others who looked unhappy, even horrified, at the outcome of what had just happened. At whether they were horrified at the murder of Pearlpaw, or the fact that a cat that had been exiled from the Clan for having inappropriate morals was a mystery.

Serpentpelt and Dustyfoot were speaking to Tigerflame in hushed tones, either cheering him on for holding his morals, or reprimanding him for giving up such a position. But whatever they were saying, there were several cats around them who were nodding in firm agreement.

Rosethorn looked around at her new Clan once more. She had noticed the dramatic mood change when the trouble with ShadowClan began. RiverClan had been so upbeat and silly, almost to the point of inappropriateness. But it was almost as if every cat was hiding some dark secret. Tawnyleaf's murders, Duststar's relationship with his foster daughter, Graywhisker's suicide - it was only cheerful on the surface just a mouse's nose under it harbored some sharp thorns.

Hazetail looked to be going mad as she verbally tore her leader to shreds nearby. Rosethorn recalled Tawnyleaf mentioning how Hazetail had been an accomplice in the plot, but she didn't know how much the cat knew. For all Rosethorn could guess, Hazetail had assisted Tawnyleaf in the actual killing.

And how had they done that, anyway? One by one, so that none of them would fight back or run away? Get them when they were alone and kill them quickly, like what happened to Pearlpaw? Bait great beasts like foxes and badgers to come and slaughter them? Poison?

But whatever they had done, Rosethorn realized, it had created Silverleaf. Had he been traumatized by what his mother had done? Or was it genetic, like Tawnyleaf's cold feelings had been passed on to her son. If that were the case, then Gingerheart would have those feelings twice over, wouldn't she, as she would've got them from both Twilightfur and her uncle – her _father_.

Even more disturbing, if it were genetic, what would happen to WindClan? Silverleaf had fathered countless kits there already in order to quickly regenerate the Clan's declining population.

She shook herself. That was just silly. Every cat got to choose what they wanted to do with the life StarClan granted them.

But that didn't change anything. With Tawnyleaf as the new deputy, with the possibility of leader – something had to be done, it just seemed inherently wrong to let it go any further. She didn't know how to tell Duststar, but she would tell Thorntail.

"Rosethorn! Rosethorn!"

She fell out of her thoughts when she saw Thorntail rushing towards her, his eyes even brighter and filled with more joy than before.

"What is it?" she asked, her mood lifting just from seeing him.

"Well…" Thorntail paused, debating on how to tell her his good news. "Duststar's on his last life, and Tawnyleaf's his deputy."

Her heart started to beat faster. "And…?"

"Which means there's a very strong chance that Tawnyleaf might become Tawny_star_, leader of RiverClan," Thorntail explained. "And…" the large cat started to wriggle around like a newborn kit, unable to contain himself, "it looks like I might finally have a chance to become a deputy. Tawnyleaf just promised me the position. Now I know it might not happen," Thorntail added quickly, "but if there's any possibility of that happening… I've told you before how much I've always wanted to be a deputy. Now, obviously that wasn't likely to occur given my past, but it looks like it'll _happen_. And if I'm going to be deputy then…" Thorntail looked down at his paws, as if ashamed of his kitten-like excitement, but obviously decided to let that rot, because he jumped up again with his tail waving through the air in sheer joy, "If I'm going to be a deputy, I'm going to be a great one. Not just a strong one, but also a really skilled, a great one who'll be remembered for fixing some of the problems in the forest. And uh…" he looked away.

"What is it?"

"You'll stand by me, right?"

The question was meekly asked, like a kitten asking if it's mother will stay with it when he goes to sleep. But like the kit, Thorntail knew the answer, and simply wanted reassurance.

And despite herself, Rosethorn couldn't help but feel happy for Thorntail. It was true; he had always expressed a desire to be a deputy. And it looked like that dream was going to come true. Through a roundabout way, everything was going in the right direction. Tawnyleaf wasn't Rosethorn's problem; she was Silverleaf's and his kin.

After all, maybe StarClan did work in mysterious ways. Yes, she had fallen to Flamesoul, but what were the odds that Thorntail would've come to ThunderClan in the first place to pick her up? What were the odds that she would've been able to heal his wounds as well?

"Wherever you are," Rosethorn promised, "is where I'll be."


	14. Chapter 12

* * *

The sun, glittering gold, was high in the sky. It smiled down at the ThunderClan camp beneath it, graciously offering its warmth and light to the bustling Clan cats. Its heat pushed down forcefully on the dark back of Ebonypool, but she didn't mind. Instead, she raised her emerald gaze to the burning orb above her, for once not flinching at how it made her eyes sizzle with the desire to roll out of their sockets. No, for the first time in days that seemed like moons she welcomed the sun, the symbol of a new day of life. For the first time since Dusktail stumbled into the nursery, gossiping about what she had heard at the Gathering:

"_It seems like RiverClan and ShadowClan are going to war, just as Silverleaf predicted! It's times like this that I wish that Streamstar wasn't so rash in dealing out punishments; I would much rather have that tom in our ranks then WindClan's, but what can you do? He has his loyalties and that's respectable. Oh, you want to know why they're going to war, you say? Well, it depends on whom you ask, of course. RiverClan claims that ShadowClan killed Listeningecho first, ShadowClan claims that RiverClan killed some apprentice along with their warriors Stormpool and Marshclaw…Oh, Ebonypool, are you going to eat that vole?"_

Ebonypool supposed she couldn't blame Dusktail for the insensitive way of offering the news of her beloved's death. She was sure that if the other queen had known where Ebonypool's heart laid that she would've been more tactful. No, Dusktail had assumed that she was just telling Ebonypool the news of the death of a faceless enemy warrior, a pawprint that could be washed away by the rain and forgotten.

As the very pregnant Ebonypool twirled past her Clanmates on the way to the fresh-kill pile, they turned their heads and murmur to each other.

"Good day, I suppose," Badgerclaw listlessly informed Twilightfur, pawing a squirrel towards the she-cat. "You know, I'm glad to see Ebonypool back to her old self. She's been so depressed lately."

"It's called being a queen, Badgerclaw," Twilightfur returned, nodding at Ebonypool's bulging belly.

The dark she-cat overheard their banter and let out a purr. How wrong Badgerclaw was; it wasn't just a good day. It was destined to be so much more than that.

As Ebonypool's teeth crashed down on her meal, and she felt one of the lives inside her shift, she found her mind reel back to when she was a kit, and how she had imagined her life would be.

The tom that stole her heart was to be handsome and gallant and noble, and above all, would adore Ebonypool. They would fall into each other in Newleaf, when all the flowers were waking from their slumber, and then the kits would be born in Greenleaf. There would be three kits, a tom for the father to chisel, and two she-cats who would grow to be faithful companions to their mother and to each other. Her mother, Turtlefeather would shower her with compliments on how beautiful her kittens were, and Ebonypool would inform her that she taught her everything she knew. The young Ebonypool was never ashamed of her dreams, or doubted that they would come true. It was only later that she realized that there would have to be some changes to her perfect, rose-colored life.

That's what growing up did.

Ebonypool swallowed her prey, and called her sisters, Morninglight and Aquamist over to her. Her littermates approached with a cheerful bounce in their step, mirroring Ebonypool's cheerful exterior. Ebonypool asked them if they'd assist in grooming her.

"I'd do it myself, but," she bent her muzzle down towards her future offspring, "it's rather difficult."

The lie, it worked rather well, and Ebonypool felt pleased with herself. Morninglight and Aquamist quickly got to helping their sister, their tongues unknotting the long strips of night-colored fur, flattening it and giving it a sparkle. Ebonypool worked on her chest, working diligently to make her matted fur even more gorgeous than usual. Ebonypool knew that three tongues working to make her pretty would make her three times as beautiful, which was good, since she couldn't look like she did every day. Not on a day as important as that one.

Once they finished, she excused herself, and started to toddle towards Flamesoul's den.

When she first entered, she heard the ginger tomcat in the farther reaching of the den, where most of the mixtures were created, a nook generally forbidden to normal warriors. Once making sure that the tom was definitely distracted, she raised an ebony paw and dabbled the berries she desired towards her.

"Flamesoul," she called, hiding the berries beneath her flowing tail, "Flamesoul, are you in here?"

Her green eyes flashed around the nest that was once hers. The familiar scent of herbs and remedies entered into her senses, and for a moment, she felt like Ebonypaw again, innocent and caring. Ebonypool often heard other medicine cats speak of how love for their Clan had driven them to walk on the path they chose. But Ebonypool, she just realized, had instead chosen to walk the path to avenge the deaths of the ones she loved. Maybe, she mused, that was why she had fallen so easily from the life of chastity and healing. She hadn't embraced the rank with love; she had risen to it with thoughts of vengeance against disease, and with selfish thoughts of speaking to her fallen siblings once more by the medicine cat's connection to StarClan.

And now, with her rank surrendered and her beloved gone, she found herself with nothing.

She heard Flamesoul call out to her from in the very back of the large nest, and while she waited for the ginger tom to come to her, Ebonypool's gaze rested on the apprentice's nest. When Ebonypool discarded her rank and Rosethorn had started to sleep there again as Flamesoul's apprentice, it had been surrounded with a bramble wall.

The wall had never seemed so tall, and the thorns never so sharp.

"Oh, Ebonypool!" Flamesoul greeted cheerfully, the giant tom stepping in front of the nest, obstructing her vision. His eyes flashed down towards her stomach. "You really shouldn't be moving around so much in your condition."

"Oh, I think I'll be fine," she replied in a sing-song voice. "But that does lead me to why I'm here. I've been having trouble sleeping; do you think you can give me something to help? I know it's sun-high," she added hastily, "but I'm exhausted, and I know you told me to start sleeping more what with my kits and everything but…"

"Oh, lots of queens have a problem just like that," Flamesoul cut her off cheerfully. "I actually was just finishing up a mixture for your very ailment."

And he gave it to her. Ebonypool sniffed at it curiously. Yes, yes, a mixture of dried oak leaves, crushed poppy seeds along with several other berries and herbs. It was nothing but a sleeping spell, _on its own_. Harmless and perfect for an ailing queen,_ on it's own. _

_On her own… _

It was nothing to Ebonypool, on it's own. But it was for that very reason that she found herself identifying with the mixture. It was useless on it's own. But with just a tiny addition, it could be --

"I'm glad to see that you're so much happier now, Ebonypool," Flamesoul meowed conversationally. "You seemed depressed the past few days. You look really pretty, too," he meowed, possibly realizing that he was falling into the trap that Badgerclaw had fallen into earlier. A cat just didn't mention a queen's mood swings, and he was clearly, to Ebonypool, trying to cover his tracks. "A special meeting with the kits' father, tonight?"

And once more Flamesoul was caught in a social taboo in trying to pry for the father of the unborn, but she didn't give him time to retreat once more, and instead thanked the medicine cat and fled the nest as fast as her large body would allow her, her jaws firmly grasping the mixture that Flamesoul had offered her. She made a beeline for the gorse tunnel of the camp, relieved that no cat stopped to ask the very pregnant queen what her destination was.

She vaguely recalled Turtlefeather, her mother, taking her out for walks around the territory. She wondered what Turtlefeather would say to her if she were still alive? She would probably tell her to be loyal to her mate, to be pure and strengthen him.

But Turtlefeather had died by The Blood. So had half of Ebonypool's siblings.

Her beloved disloyal Marshclaw had died in RiverClan territory, died by the claws of a villainous noble warrior trying to defend her Clan.

She started towards SunningRocks, recalling the vivid memories of some of her and Marshclaw's nights there. Or maybe it was because Ebonypool willed her paws to go as close to where Marshclaw's body had fallen as she could.

Or maybe it was because SunningRocks was the most isolated place in all of ThunderClan territory right now. The visiting WindClan cats were uncomfortable by its height and the mighty roar of the river beside it, and the ThunderClan patrols there would have started back to their homes by the time the dark queen reached it.

The mixture was locked firmly in her mouth, and she tried to get there as quick as she can. She thundered through, suddenly uncaring whether or not the fur that she had fixed just to greet StarClan got messy, her mind no longer even registering the pain as she charged through thorny pushes and stumbled over jagged rocks. She found herself purposely trekking through the most precarious parts of the forest, the parts that harbored the very dangers that were causing her the pain. None of her Clanmates casually strolling or hunting would follow her here. She was hacking and slashing through the forest, and no cat, not even the swift WindClan cats, could've matched her speed, not when she had such a firm mental force pushing her forward. And even if a cat did follow her, no cat would reach her before it was too late.

Ebonypool's last coherent thought was how she had always been told by her mother to honor the dead, make the spirits of StarClan happy, for that was the true goal of a Clan cat. Then her coherency silenced, and all thoughts morphed into a focus of her destination.

When Ebonypool arrived, the sun had begun to set and the moon was rising. It was twilight, the time that Ebonypool had always ironically associated with war, as the two great heavenly bodies fought for custody of the skies.

Ebonypool's eyes lingered on the sky for several heartbeats, and she wasn't surprised to find that darkness won.

She gingerly approached the flowing river. SunningRocks was located by a gorge, with a very steep drop to the river, where sharp stones ruled the territory, with the river acting as a disruptive subject, always trying to overthrow the powerful rocks. It was here, Ebonypool's mind foggily recalled, that Rosethorn had supposedly been attacked by Silverleaf. Was that true? Her Clanmates said it wasn't, that Rosethorn had lied, that Rosethorn was a lying traitor.

Rosethorn had known about Ebonypool's heart. Maybe if Rosethorn hadn't been a lying traitor, Dusktail wouldn't have had the chance to be so cruel in her informing Ebonypool of Marshclaw's death.

She caught her reflection in the turbulent waters. Her dark fur was glowing silver in the moonlight; her whiskers looking like shooting stars across the night sky of her face. She looked beautiful. She looked perfect, perfect to greet her mate.

She turned away from the stones, and started to pad towards her final destination. Death was a space on a moon-bathed stone in SunningRocks where no one would see her close her eyes for the final time, and no one will see her spirit fly to the sky, to be with the ones she loved.

Ebonypool added the berries she had stolen from Flamesoul's den into the mixture he had offered her. Flamesoul had given her the mixture with the intention of making it easier to sleep, but Ebonypool decided to take it without the intention of ever waking up. The mixture was harmless on its own, but Ebonypool had trained as a medicine cat, even if she hadn't ever formally finished. She knew how to make the most innocent remedy a poison.

She swallowed her poison.

She stumbled towards the stone of her choice, collapsing onto it and allowing her emeralds to stare up at the ebony sky. StarClan seemed closer than ever, glittering silver.

She fluttered her eyes closed, and waited to fly up towards StarClan, where everyone she loved was waiting.

…

Applefur found herself rushing towards SunningRocks, whiskers twitching with excitement. Blackshadow had seen Rosethorn on the border earlier, and the scarlet she-cat had asked for her old friend to meet her that night at the usual spot. Blackshadow had told her that Rosethorn had looked so happy and excited, and now Applefur couldn't help but wonder what news he wanted to share. Rosethorn requested Blackshadow to bring Applefur, so she was coming but unfortunately, Blackshadow had gone patrolling in search of Ebonypool, who had been missing since Sun-High.

_Probably off kitting, _Applefur told herself cheerfully. Some queens felt uncomfortable with the medicine cat and the other queens coaching her through the birth, and instead opted to do it privately in the forest, like the loner cats.

Her hopeful thoughts turned to alarm when she saw Beakclaw and Aquamist rushing towards her, the two young warriors' eyes wild and alarmed.

"What's wrong?" Applefur asked, stopping the two.

"It's Ebonypool!" Beakclaw meowed breathlessly, stumbling to a halt. "Aquamist and I went to SunningRocks to uh…uh…" He looked at his paws awkwardly.

"You're both ThunderClan cats on ThunderClan territory, you had no ill intent, now just tell me – what's wrong with Ebonypool? Is she kitting?"

"We don't know," Aquamist meowed breathlessly. "She…she doesn't look very good. We're – Beakclaw and I are going to go get Flamesoul!" And without another word, the two warriors sped into the night.

Applefur watched them disappear into the ferns before she charged forward to SunningRocks, her worry growing larger and more mutated as she caught the ill scent of Ebonypool before her.

Applefur leapt onto the stone on which Ebonypool rested in repose, and sniffed around suspiciously. The air that Ebonypool was breathing in shallow breaths was a musty tang, and while Applefur's instincts told her that there wasn't a disease in the air for her to catch, they also told her that there was a very weak cat in front of her.

A weak cat's whose shallow, musty, tangy breaths were growing shallower and mustier by the heartbeat.

Ebonypool needed a medicine cat now, and there was no way that Beakclaw and Aquamist would be able to find Flamesoul and bring him back in time to –

_A medicine cat._

Applefur's gaze flashed towards a new scent in the air. To her relief, she saw Rosethorn hustling towards her, the RiverClan she-cat obviously here for the meeting. Instead, she came to be a savior.

"Rosethorn!" Applefur shouted relieved that she had treacherous habits that had urged a former medicine cat onto the sight of her dying comrade. "It's Ebonypool!"

At the alarm in Applefur's voice, and at the mention of her former apprentice's name, Rosethorn's pace doubled and in a heartbeat she was beside Applefur. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Beakclaw and Aquamist found her when they were at SunningRocks."

Rosethorn's eyes narrowed, and she fell into the shape of a medicine cat once more, no longer needing any more of Applefur's explanations. The scarlet she-cat started to inspect Ebonypool's body and surroundings, her sapphire eyes growing rounder and more concerned by the moment.

Applefur knew that Rosethorn hadn't ever been the most skilled medicine cat, having only truly had half of her training completed, but she also knew that a half-skilled medicine cat was better than no medicine cat at all. Maybe Rosethorn could hold Ebonypool over until -

"I'm going to need some yarrow," Rosethorn's voice broke her thoughts. "And lots of it. I'm going to need to get the poison out of her system."

Applefur turned to follow the order without question.

…

Rosethorn didn't raise her gaze from Ebonypool, even when she heard the pawsteps of Applefur flee into the night. She had come with the intention of telling her friends of the first time appearance of the possibility of Thorntail's deputyship, but now her mind was preoccupied with nothing other than the sick cat before her.

The once bouncy and cheerful Ebonypaw was lying in Ebonypool's form, unconscious. The dark she-cat's body was convulsing occasionally, and Rosethorn, powerless to do anything else, just ran her tongue along her side, which was rising and falling slower and slower with each passing beat.

Rosethorn's senses told her what happened. The breath that Ebonypool was breathing was tainted with the stench of a deadly mixture of herbs: a poison. No cat could've poisoned Ebonypool; the she-cat's medicine cat training would have alerted her instantly to the identity of hazardous substances. It seemed to Rosethorn that the cat she had known to be the most full of life had decided that life was no longer worth living.

Rosethorn chased that thought from her mind, and instead decided to dig into Ebonypool's mouth with her claw in an attempt to remove some of the poison that might not have been swallowed yet. As she worked deeper, she recalled that even without yarrow it was possible to make a cat regurgitate what they had eaten if you explored deep enough. So, employing her longer and thinner tail in place of her paw, Rosethorn commenced her attempt to remove the poison from Ebonypool's system before it completed its journey.

Rosethorn tried to keep her mind only on her work, and not allow her thoughts to stray into any of her past memories with Ebonypool. A medicine cat worked most diligently when they weren't allowing their emotions to interfere. She couldn't work as efficiently if her mind was racing off into the past. But trying to save Ebonypool, seeing her unconscious made Rosethorn remember when she had first started the relationship with Ebonypool.

The Blood had been ravaging the camp, and Rosethorn – Rosepaw then – had been working as hard as her body would allow. She had entered the den to check on some of the sick, the kits, essentially. There had been a huddle in the corner of the den, lying where their mother's corpse had lain just a short period before. Aquakit, Morningkit, Ebonykit, and Twigkit. After discovering that Twigkit was never going to awaken, young Rosepaw had assumed that none of the other kits ever would either. She had felt that she would never be worth anything, a failure of a medicine cat, a failure to the Clan, a _failure_.

_But then Ebonykit's tail twitched. _

And then Ebonypool's tail twitched.

Rosethorn retracted her own tail from the cavern, and was pleased to see the black cat's body expel the hazards.

But the relief faded when she saw the dark furred cat's body begin to convulse once more, shaking and spluttering. Alarm shot through her.

She began to groom Ebonypool's side fanatically, mewing blubbering words of encouragement between licks, praying to StarClan or whoever was listening to not let Ebonypool leave yet –

She was in the middle of reminding Ebonypool about how she still had her kits to live for, when it seemed that Ebonypool's kits decided to remind her on their own.

Whether it was a completely natural birth or the effects of the poison activated it, Rosethorn never knew. All she did was follow her past teachings and let her previous experiences of helping other queens through births guide her. As inexperienced as she was, she had helped numerous other queens, Sandpelt, Applefur, Dusktail, and Spottedstar to name a few, bring their kits into the world, and she was well versed in this particular area of medicine.

It wasn't a particularly difficult birth, though it was a long one. Ebonypool, worryingly, remained unconscious during the whole affair and Rosethorn was forced to take liberties, but the RiverClan cat's mind was entirely on bringing the kits into the world and she almost didn't have time to feel concern for her friend.

Instead, she felt incredible pain herself when the first two kits that revealed themselves, both as dark as their parents, revealed themselves as still as stone and without any cries for milk. She set them aside to go on the journey to meet their grandparents and uncle Twigkit, and focused on Ebonypool's youngest.

It was quite the peculiar thing. Ebonypool was as dark as night, and Marshclaw shared her pelt color, yet their only surviving kit was as white as any of the stars in the sky. Her eyes were closed and she was crying and mewing loudly for milk, even as Rosethorn licked her and soothed her body.

"Ebonypool," Rosethorn meowed suddenly, surprised at the hoarseness of her voice. Rosethorn had rested the kit in between her front paws to keep it warm as she tried to speak to her friend. "Ebonypool, you have a daughter. She's beautiful, Ebonypool. You should see her."

Ebonypool didn't answer.

"She's going to need you. She's going to need you and your milk and your love, and your going to want to see her grow into a great warrior and…" Rosethorn trailed off. She had been alarmed when Ebonypool had been thrashing about, subconsciously fighting the pain, but now she wished beyond hope that Ebonypool would begin again.

But the cat was frighteningly still.

"Ebony_pool_…" Rosethorn's voice raised to a squeal at the second half of the cat's name. For the first time she realized that this was the first time she had ever seen Ebonypool as Ebonypool. She had received her warrior name after Rosethorn left for RiverClan.

She also realized she would never meet Ebonypool again, either.

At sound of paw steps made Rosethorn shakily rise to her paws, recalling that she had sent Applefur away for yarrow quite some time ago. Whatever had taken her so long could be forgiven now, and she prepared herself to give her the news.

But the cat that pushed himself out of the darkness wasn't Applefur. Green eyes looked towards the corpse, glinted with understanding, and then moved towards Rosethorn.

Rosethorn's jaws parted in a silent shriek as she locked eyes with Flamesoul.

* * *

**Hey. Sorry for the long update. I'm not going to lie, I have the rest of this story planned out almost to the chapter, so I should be able to finish by the end of the Summer...but I was wondering if anyone cares anymore. If you do, just drop me a review or a pm or an e-mail or a carrier pigeon and I'll continue, but I don't really see the point in working so hard to wrap it up if nobody is going to read it. I say this just because it has taken me so long to get here, and I'm not sure if anyone cares anymore. I'm not trying to blackmail anyone for reviews (that's why I also suggest an e-mail or a pm, whatever is easiest for YOU) I just have some original stories running around in my head, and the only reason I would have to finish this is if people want to know what happens. Thank you. Though I always worry after a long update if anyone cares anymore, so maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I really am not sure if anyone is reading anymore.  
**

**That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **


	15. Chapter 13 AKA: ZOMG SHE UPDATED!

Every Clan in the forest had a piece of territory that was 'dangerous'. ShadowClan had its carrion place where cats could fall prey to the illness of the rats. WindClan had an incline of earth where badgers and foxes loved to bundle up and have kits. RiverClan had the gorge. ThunderClan, in its own way, also had a gorge.

While most would consider ThunderClan's Snake Rocks, with biting adders, or its name-sake Thunderpath its most dangerous adornments, if anyone actually sat down and thought about it, that mantle had to be surrendered to SunningRocks. This was because, put very simply, everyone _thought_ that Snake Rocks and Thunderpath were the most dangerous. When a cat hunted in the Snake Rocks they kept their eyes peeled for snakes, and on the thunderpath they listened for the roaring monsters. SunningRocks was innocent enough. Cats went there to sun and play and hunt. Oftentimes they never gave thought that half of RiverClan would lay down their lives for that scrap of territory. Or the fact that one misstep could send a cat spiraling off the edge of its cliff and into the rocky river below, never to be heard from again.

Rosethorn had been placed in danger at the SunningRocks once before. Silverleaf had tempted her into flinging herself into the watery abyss. He had acted like the SunningRocks, he had seemed so gracious, soft, and kind -- not dangerous at all. This time, however, Rosethorn knew that the ginger tomcat before her was a threat.

She knew from experience.

Her throat, locking in on itself, preventing her from speaking, knew from experience.

Her legs, however, apparently did not. No matter how many panicked messages of _'RUN! RUN! RUN!_' her brain sent to the appendages, they stayed firmly locked in place.

For one gut-wrenching moment she was thrust back into her apprenticehood, feeling her rapist's member digging between her legs, feeling his heartbeat sync up with hers as if they were one organism, trying to fight back a cry from the back of her throat because if the Clan found out then she couldn't be their medicine cat anymore and ---

Other cats, however, didn't feel such an aversion to crying. Rosethorn was knocked out of the past and into the present when Ebonypool's ivory-colored daughter started to cry for milk. Yowling in a way that Rosepaw had never been able to.

Rosethorn wrapped her tail firmly around Ebonypool's daughter, and glared defiantly at Flamesoul. She didn't need to be afraid anymore, she reminded herself. She wasn't a ThunderClan Medicine Cat Apprentice. She was a RiverClan Warrior now. And warriors did not show their enemies their fear. Especially enemies who they did fear.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice not betraying her thundering heart.

For a moment the only sound that could be heard was Ebonypool's kit howling at the heavens. But even so, Flamesoul's eyes did not stray to her; instead they stared unwaveringly into Rosethorn's. He licked his lips before responding. "What am I doing here?" A small chuckle entered his tone. "Rosethorn, this is my territory. I'm a ThunderClan cat. What are you doing here?" Where Rosethorn's tone had been accusatory, his was relaxed and calm, as if speaking to an old friend.

Rosethorn had been about to respond, but Flamesoul continued on. "What am I saying?" he shook his head, shuffling his paws as if he was embarrassed. "You're ThunderClan too. You've just come home."

"I'm going to," Rosethorn confirmed, flicking her tail behind her to where RiverClan territory lay. "I just swam over to -- to help Ebonypool give birth. Applefur called me over," she meowed, fabricating the story simpler. Usually she had such trouble lying, but for some reason, where Flamesoul's cold green gaze had once zapped power from her, she now found strength to be lapped up from the emerald pools. "Where is she?"

Flamesoul blinked. "She had been by a yarrow patch when I found her. Beakclaw and Aquamist were with me - they had just collected me from the camp. When Applefur told me about Ebonypool, I had them escort her back to camp so I could come and help..."

Rosethorn shivered. Applefur wouldn't be coming to her aid...

"Oh, but I'm so glad you're back," Flamesoul took a step forward - a step over Ebonypool's body, not giving the corpse of his Clanmate an acknowledging glance. "Rosethorn, the Clan's been worried sick about you."

"Leave." It wasn't a request; it was a command.

Flamesoul wasn't deterred, though he did stop advancing. "Rosethorn, nobody knows what happened to you. Some cats think you even betrayed ThunderClan to run off with Thorntail in RiverClan. I know that's not true," he tried to sooth her. "Come on, we can go back home and explain everything."

A rage, a smoldering angry red rage swelled up through the RiverClan warrior and she barked, "My home isn't with you!" Flamesoul stumbled backwards as if Rosethorn had taken a swipe at him. "My home is with Thorntail. In RiverClan," she finished her fiery rage freezing into arctic hatred.

The ThunderClan medicine cat shook his head, his jaws working against one another, at a loss. Finally he returned, "What are you talking about? You're ThunderClan. Your mother is ThunderClan leader --"

"My mother threw me away." As Rosethorn tossed the words into the air, her heart wrenched at the plain fact of it. She hated herself for it.

Flamesoul picked up on it. She could tell. "Your mother loves you, Rosethorn. She just had to do what was best for her Clan. That's everyone's duty. Oh, Rosethorn," he purred, "I've -- We've been so worried about you. So..." the giant tomcat cocked his head to the side, "why are you saying such horrible things?"

"STOP IT!" Rosethorn's voice rose to such a level that it startled and silenced even the hungry newborn at her paws. "Just leave me alone," she pleaded, not for the first time. "I'm with Thorntail. My mate is Thorntail. I'm going to have his kits one day!" Flamesoul's jaws parted in horror, but she swept on, uncaring. "So go back to your camp, Flamesoul! Alone! I'm never going back there as long as I live!"

"Don't be mouse-brained." Flamesoul meowed, his voice calm and soothing where hers had turned hysterical. But it hardened as he continued. "Talking about having kits…with a tomcat like that. I'll never let that happen." His eyes gracefully fell like a leaf, finally, to Ebonypool's daughter. "So that's the newborn?" he asked, as if the confrontation between him and his former apprentice had never occurred. "Pretty little thing, like her mother. Looks a little like Streamstar. I wonder how distant kin Ebonypool and she are...? Well," he stomped his front paws on the earth, a punctuation mark between his statements, "hand her over here, then. She needs to be taken back to camp, with her kin, where she belongs."

Everything that came out of his mouth, at least in regards to Ebonypool's daughter, made sense. She was, after all, ThunderClan. If Ebonypool hadn't committed -- hadn't left camp for SunningRocks, then she would've given birth to her daughter in ThunderClan's nursery. Flamesoul would've assisted in licking her clean, and Flamesoul would have consulted the stars that night to try and predict the white cat's destiny.

But Flamesoul -- he had taken so much from her. He had ruined her apprenticehood, made it impossible to fulfill her dreams -- her father's dreams. Because of him, Streamstar had given up on her. He had tried to take her away from Thorntail and now, and now he wanted to take the last remnant of Ebonypool left in the forest?

"No!" Rosethorn howled, and before Flamesoul could react, she scooped up the young kit into her jaws and tried to fly off, preparing to run up river to a less rocky portion before diving in and swimming off. She had been in RiverClan for nearly a moon now, and could swim almost as well as any of her new Clanmates.

But Flamesoul took off after her. In mere heartbeats he had her flanked and she just saw a glitter of silver before she felt his claws rake against her side, sending her spiraling down to the earth. Clumsily she tried to rise back to her feet but one of Flamesoul's giant paws smacked her down again, the kit falling out of her mouth.

"Rosethorn," Flamesoul soothed, lowering his neck so he could stare her in the eye, "I don't know why you're struggling so much. Don't you see how much I love you?"

---

"No, I'm sorry Cinnamonfur," Thorntail apologized, dipping his head politely to the dimwitted warrior. "I think I'm going to start heading back to camp. We got a good haul, tonight," he motioned towards a pile of fish gathered by the river.

"But Silentsong said she loves cats that catch a lot of fish!" Cinnamonfur whined. "I don't think this is enough to impress her!"

"Is that all you toms think about?" Tawnyleaf asked, coming up nonchalantly behind them. Tigerflame and Serpentpelt were beside her; clearly the trio was in the middle of a patrol. "She-cats?"

"Yup," Thorntail joked. "That's why I want to get back to camp. Rosethorn probably misses me."

Cinnamonfur added almost inaudibly, "No she-cat misses me..."

Tawnyleaf ignored him, tossing her golden head before she meowed, "Rosethorn? Yeah," she blinked, "I wonder if she got back yet?"

Thorntail's ears perked. "Hmm?"

"Well, she left awhile ago... and when I left for this patrol she wasn't back yet. I had thought she was with you." A shrug. "'Pparently not." Her eyes glittered. "I hope I didn't scare her off."

Thorntail blinked thoughtfully. Had her meeting with Applefur lasted longer than he thought? He was prepared to make an excuse to go check, but he didn't become fully alarmed until Serpentpelt carelessly tossed in, "Yeah, I hope ThunderClan hasn't found her. Their medicine cat was asking all over for her at the Gathering..."

One hasty excuse and heartbeat later, Thorntail was charging off. It was probably nothing, it had to be nothing but --

---

It wasn't the proudest moment in Rosethorn's life, but she hardly took notice. Crawling like an adder, she grabbed for the white kit and found the strength to struggle to her paws before Flamesoul could knock her down again. Then, she charged off, hoping that she could still go on with her original escape plan.

Unfortunately, Flamesoul blocked her original escape route, and she instinctively averted him -- to the edge of SunningRocks. She stared down at the watery abyss for what seemed like an eternity. The water smacked against the harsh stones and flew unforgivingly down the river. Even with her newfound talent at swimming, it was clear that neither she nor the kit would survive the fall.

She vaguely recalled the last time she had stared down the cliff. Silverleaf had been standing where Flamesoul was now, claws unsheathed, head cocked. She had had two choices: jump, and have a quick, painless death, or remain and have Silverleaf gorge the blood from her throat.

And again, she had two choices.

"If you come any closer," she called to the approaching Flamesoul, "I'll jump." Her voice was calm, matter-of-fact.

Flamesoul stopped in his tracks, his eyes rounding to the size of the moon. Honest terror flooded his gaze, and for a moment it seemed like he would turn and flee. But he didn't. When he finally regained his voice he choked, "Why? I don't get it!" He lifted and crashed his front paws against the earth. "Why are you doing so much to avoid me? Can't you see how much I love you?"

Silver, glittering claws tore out of the RiverClan warrior's scarlet paws even as Flamesoul was still speaking. Her back arched and a feral hiss rumbled from the back of her throat. "Love?" Rosethorn finally spat, curling her tail in disgust. "That's not love."

"What are you saying?" Flamesoul cried. "H-how would you know?"

"I know," she spoke her words transformed from a gnarled hiss to a caressing purr, "because Thorntail taught me what real love is. For awhile," she shrugged, "I---I thought that you did love me."

"I do!"

She ignored him. "I thought that -- that what you did to me...I thought that was love. I could never understand why everyone seemed to be so enraptured with it. I thought there was something wrong with me. Then...I heard that my aunt, Scarletstripe...she rejected you. I thought...maybe you thought you loved me because I reminded you of her..." At the mention of her aunt, Flamesoul visibly stiffened. She narrowed her eyes, and curled his lips to reveal her own collection of glittering ivory fangs. "But now I know the truth. You didn't love me. You don't love me! The only reason you're attached to me...it isn't because of some unrequited love for a cat long dead, but-- it's just because I was too young to resist! I was a convenient partner for you!" Her voice rose to a hysterical shriek, "My feelings didn't matter to you at all! All you cared about was what you wanted! All you did was enjoy yourself and did as you pleased to me!"

"Rosethorn, I do love you --"

"That's not love!"

"Rosethorn-"

"That's not love at all!"

"I care--"

"That's fox_-dung! Fox-dung, like you! I would rather DIE than--"_

"You're wrong, Rosethorn!" Before she could react, Flamesoul launched himself towards her, shoving her from the edge. "I do care about you -- why can't you understand?"

Remembering their last meeting, when she had almost killed him, Rosethorn jumped back up and slashed her claws at him. But it was like clawing at a tree -- it didn't seem to make much difference -- and he grabbed for her escaped paw and used it to pull her closer to him. It was clear that this wasn't the same as their previous engagement; Flamesoul was fueled with adrenaline to try and prove how much he 'cared' about her.

"No...!" Rosethorn hissed, trying in vain to bat at Flamesoul's muzzle with her free forepaw to try and get him to release the other.

"Rosethorn!"

Instantly, both cats froze. The voice did not belong to Flamesoul. It wasn't low enough, it was higher, smoother. Both Rosethorn and Flamesoul dropped their onslaught and flicked their gazes to the newcomer.

_Oh, StarClan,_ Rosethorn praised them.

Thorntail. His gray fur was streaking with water, and his sides were panting heavily, but -- _he was there. Oh, StarClan, he was there._ Flamesoul was the fox, Thorntail was the warrior patrol. Flamesoul was the night, Thorntail was the sun. Flamesoul was evil, Thorntail was good.

_And Thorntail was there. _

For an eternity that could only be measured in heartbeats and breaths, the two tomcats just stood there, eyeing one another. Neither cat spoke. The only noise that could be heard was that of the river slamming against the rocks and Ebonypool's daughter, still abandoned by the Cliffside. Silence reigned.

Rosethorn broke it. "Thorntail," she greeted breathlessly.

Like the silence, a spell cast on Flamesoul seemed to have been broken as well. He suddenly became animated again, and he stormed over towards the gray RiverClan warrior.

For the first time, Rosethorn realized that she hadn't just exaggerated Flamesoul's size out of fear or terror. Thorntail was a large tom, larger than even the majority of ShadowClan, but he was dwarfed by the powerful ginger medicine cat.

"You," Flamesoul spat, staring down at Thorntail, his lip curling in disgust. "You're the one feeding Rosethorn lies!"

Thorntail stood as still as stone.

Flamesoul batted harmlessly against Thorntail's chest. "You stole my apprentice and dragged her to RiverClan! You brainwashed my apprentice against the Clan she was born in, against her kin, against me!"

Then, Thorntail's spell broke. His cerulean eyes glinted. "Apprentice?" he mewed quietly, his voice almost inaudible over the pounding river. It hardened, then, but still remained quiet. Rosethorn strained her ears to hear. "Get away from me." Flamesoul remained immobile, so the order was repeated. "I said get your filthy self away from me."

Flamesoul was given no time to comply. Thorntail went straight for the throat, digging his teeth in firmly around the neck. Once the grip was confirmed, he swung the larger cat the earth.

Flamesoul lay there for a moment, bleeding. And StarClan help her, with every drop of blood that spilled onto SunningRocks, Rosethorn drew more joy. Was it wrong, to take so much pleasure in another cat's pain?

Did it matter? The situation had changed. Now he was bleeding, broken, and --

And Rosethorn, she felt a purr rise in her throat.

Neither tom noticed. Flamesoul eventually gathered up enough strength to sit on his haunches, and he slowly gathered himself up to do so. "You don't get it, do you?" he choked out. "Do you understand your situation, Thorntail?" He slowly raised his gaze and dug it piercingly into Thorntail's. "I am ThunderClan's Medicine Cat. You," he nodded at Thorntail, particularly his bloodstained claws, "are a RiverClan warrior. RiverClan -- you're at war with ShadowClan, aren't you? While ThunderClan..." he trailed off, and purred. A sputtering, broken purr, but a purr nonetheless. "While ThunderClan -- we're united with WindClan! So, in assaulting me...you may have just ordered the execution of every cat in your Clan.

"Do you feel powerful?" Flamesoul continued. "That you, with little effort, have defeated a tom almost twice your age? But it all comes down to impressing the she-cat, huh?" He nodded with himself. He looked away from Thorntail, and locked gazes with Rosethorn. A shiver crawled down her spine, but she didn't allow her own stare to waver. He went on, "Rosethorn. All you're seeing of your _'beloved'_ Thorntail is what's on the surface. Sure, he's a warrior. But as noble and proud as warriors like to act, in the end, they're still just toms. He's not too much different from me." He looked back towards Thorntail. "In the end, we're all part of the same Clan."

Thorntail raked his claws across Flamesoul's cheek, before head butting the ginger cat and sending him spiraling backwards. A scarlet streak of blood followed him.

The gray tomcat scrutinized it. "Wow," he mewed at last after the inspection was complete. "Your blood..." He blinked at Flamesoul. "It's the same color as mine. That..." A beat. "Fills me with such rage!" He pounded forward, his silver claws mere streaks as he furiously swiped and dug them across Flamesoul's body.

Rosethorn couldn't see what was going on too well, as Thorntail's own body blocked the view. But what she could see --- _Oh, StarClan, _she could see some of the blood! It was flying into the air and then falling to the earth like rain. Her heart started to beat in tune with Thorntail's swipes.

She supposed it would be an eternity in the Place of No Stars for the few moments of watching Thorntail claw her tormentor.

_Oh, it would be worth it! _

"When I think about your life -- according to the Warrior Code," Thorntail let up on his attack for a moment, "carrying as much or more weight than mine since you're a Medicine Cat... I become ashamed to call myself a warrior. And I don't like feeling shame, Flamesoul -- I'm a proud, proud tomcat. So, I get mad. You make me mad, Flamesoul." He lifted his great paw and clawed his victim once more.

This time, Flamesoul rolled with it, and stumbled away. His orange fur was red now, and in a daze he stumbled towards the edge of SunningRocks. "Someone!" he cried. "Someone, help me! He'll kill me!"

Thorntail started for him again. Hysterical, Flamesoul fell ---

But instinct must have caught him. When Rosethorn took a step to see (his body smashing against the rocks) if he was okay, she saw him hanging precariously by his forepaws onto the side of the cliff. Stray droplets of river water splashed against his tail. Death was literally a tail-length away.

Now, Flamesoul sung a different tune. "Help me! I'll fall! Oh, StarClan, help me!"

Thorntail blinked at Rosethorn, and shrugged before padding towards the edge. He plopped himself down on his haunches and stared down at Flamesoul, unblinking. "Rosethorn," he called to his mate, "do you suppose that if I tried to claw him off of the edge he could manage to toss me in as well? He's going to die one way or another, but I was concerned that if we leave him here too long someone might actually hear his cries for help."

Rosethorn rose to her paws and padded to her mate's side to stare down at Flamesoul. Could he manage to pull Thorntail in? That wouldn't do.

Flamesoul saw her approach, and his green eyes lit up with hope. "Oh, Rosethorn! Rosethorn, help me! Don't let him kill me, please! You can stop him, I know you can stop him..."

_Flamesoul had drove his tongue down, licking every crevice, making a trail around her throat, savoring the taste and feel of her pelt... _

"Please, Rosethorn!"

_She had shivered, wanting him to stop. But her small paws, they had no effect on his strong body. _

"Don't let him kill me, Rosethorn!"

_She had tried beating him back by digging her claws into him, but it was just like a fly on his back -- just a minor annoyance. _

"I'm going to die, Rosethorn!"

_She had felt the wetness of his tongue..._

"ROSETHORN!"

"_FLAMESOUL!" she had finally howled, her body trembling and shuddering, but she could only move her paws a tiny bit because his own strong body held her like a vice. He pressed forward, driving himself firmly inside of her. His thrust was hard and accurate, and it opened her to him. A hot, searing pain had flooded her body, and her body was totally under his command, it had been his, she had lost herself in him--- _

She had been weak then, but now she was strong. She was under his command then, now he relied on her. She had sobbed then, and now -- now she purred! It rose and fell and danced around SunningRocks before she silenced it. When she spoke, it was not a purr but a meow. And it was icily calm, the exact opposite of the elation within her. It was one word, but she knew it would explain exactly how she felt and what she planned to do. "Die."

Oh, she supposed murdering ThunderClan's medicine cat would exile her from the ranks of StarClan.

But to see Flamesoul's face -- to see the last speck of hope in his eyes die -- she thought... she knew it would be worth it.

---

Thorntail nodded in understanding, and stretched on his head to try and grab hold of one of Flamesoul's paws, lift, and toss.

This was him. This was the cat that had made Rosethorn so frightened. Why she still sometimes woke up from nightmares, and curled up against him at night, searching for any sort of protection. He was the source of all of Rosethorn's suffering.

And if Thorntail could make it all go away; just by batting a tawny paw, would he do it?

The answer seemed obvious.

"Die," Thorntail echoed Rosethorn's words, and was about to carry out his goal. He stared into Flamesoul's green eyes --

And fell backwards in time. Now he was staring into Silverleaf's green eyes. _Silverpaw then, his apprentice, cocking his head to the side and asking so innocently, "How did it feel when your brother died? How did it feel seeing a corpse that looked just like you?"_ Silverleaf, always going on about how they were two of a kind... Both able to murder without remorse...

No.

No, he was _not_ Silverleaf.

He snapped his head forward and grabbed Flamesoul by the scruff of his neck. Swearing through the ginger fur, he began to try and pull the massive tomcat up.

Flamesoul was so large, Thorntail wasn't certain he'd be able to lift him. For a moment, he thought they would both fall into the river and meet StarClan. But to his surprise, soon Rosethorn had come to his head, grabbing _THORNTAIL_ by the scruff and assisting to pull Flamesoul out of harm's way.

Finally, Flamesoul was back onto the safety of SunningRocks, and not teetering at the edge.

Thorntail collapsed to the ground, panting heavily with exhaustion. He turned to see if Rosethorn was okay. While she was also panting heavily, he noticed that she wasn't making eye contact with him. He was about to question her, but Flamesoul's shriek cut him off.

"MURDERERS!" The medicine cat was on his paws and already speeding towards the forest. "HELP! RIVERCLAN INVADERS ARE TRYING TO KILL ME!"

Now Rosethorn snapped her head up, her gaze flooded with horror. "Thorntail," she breathed.

"We have to go," Thorntail confirmed. As if to prove his statement, his scent glands alerted him to an approaching patrol. Twilightfur, Shrewtail, Badgerclaw -- three powerful, experienced warriors, fresh and ready for battle. Thorntail, meanwhile, felt like his lungs would about to escape from his chest.

"HURRY!" Flamesoul yowled. "IT'S THORNTAIL AT SUNNINGROCKS! He kidnapped Rosethorn, tried to kill me, and they're trying to kidnap Ebonypool's only surviving daughter!"

That was all that was needed. "Let's go!" Thorntail yowled to Rosethorn. She nodded in understanding, and they both started to speed off. Thorntail was vaguely aware of the furious patrol rushing after them, and that was why he had to fight to keep from cursing when Rosethorn broke off from his flank and ran back towards the edge of the river. "What are you doing?" he barked.

His question was answered when he saw Rosethorn lean over and scoop something up. When she pranced back into view, she had a white kitten locked in her jaws.

"We have to go," Thorntail later meowed when they drew nearer to the RiverClan border. "We have to get out of here before things get messier!"

---

Later, after day had fallen to night and after flying out of ThunderClan territory and seeking safe refuge in the bowels of RiverClan, the two mates found an abandoned fox-nest. As Rosethorn entered, she vaguely scented Twilightfur and Gingerheart, along with some other cats she didn't recognize, along with terror and death through the kit's fur. But it was all stale. All from moons long past. She wondered if Thorntail noticed.

She could've clawed herself in the face. Here they had just escaped a furious patrol of ThunderClan warriors, and she was wondering if Thorntail noticed scents from countless seasons ago.

She looked around the den curiously. It was barren, and shabby. It just barely offered shelter from the harsh storm winds that were rolling just outside. "I wonder if Flamesoul's right," she meowed at last, settling herself down. "About the war, I mean."

Thorntail was staring blankly at the kit that was mewling at Rosethorn's paws. "Hmm. I wonder." He looked at her quizzically.

She understood. "You're...not mad at me, for taking the kit, are you?"

Thorntail didn't answer right away. "Well, RiverClan is already accused of kidnapping you, apparently. If we're going to be accused of kidnapping, I suppose we might as well deserve it."

"I'm sorry, Thorntail..." she mumbled. "I...I just didn't want Ebonypool's kit with Flamesoul. I know it was irrational. Do you think Duststar will care?"

"Duststar might, but I'm sure Tawnyleaf can pull some strings for us. He loves her, and she's deputy. We'll...come up with something."

Rosethorn let the subject drop, and pressed Thorntail on the more important topic. "Do you think RiverClan will be annihilated? Does---does ThunderClan have the grounds for a war?"

Thorntail's answer was rather blunt. "RiverClan is warring with ShadowClan, already. ThunderClan and WindClan have pledged loyalty to one another. We assaulted a medicine cat on his own territory. I did, anyway. Flamesoul is making it look like RiverClan kidnapped you. And we did just kidnap a kit." He paused. "They have the grounds to attack, and if they did, I don't know how successful RiverClan will be. How willing they'll be to harbor us..."

Rosethorn looked down at the mewling kit. It was helpless, just letting the world rule its fate. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I'm...I'm as useless as this kit. This is all my fault."

"No," Thorntail's reply was quick, sharpened. "Don't you ever say that about yourself. You're anything but pathetic, Rosethorn. Unlike me," he shrugged, helplessly. "It's just like he said. I'm just a mindless tomcat. I don't have the power to protect you." He also stared at Ebonypool's daughter. "That kit, she needs someone, Rosethorn. Neither of us can help her out. We're going to have to take her back. I don't want to go back to RiverClan until we decide on what to do," he added quickly. "I mean, we might not be welcome after this. It might be better if we just left."

Rosethorn's eyes widened. He was so close to deputyship! He was going to throw everything away? "W-where would we go?"

"I-I don't know!" Thorntail snapped. "Not here. I mean, these Clans --- they couldn't always have been as big as they are. They all started with just two cats. We could run off, Rosethorn. Make our own Clan!"

"Thorntail--"

"Well, let's face it; this forest is so messed up. Cats like Flamesoul are looked upon as heroes, and cats like you are punished for nothing. We could make our own Clan, our own code. And it would be better than anything here!

"We'll leave tomorrow. Unless you're afraid," Thorntail finished firmly.

"I'm not afraid of anything when I'm with you," Rosethorn meowed. "But...but... Thorntail, what about your deputyship? You've wanted that forever. Tawnyleaf said it's yours, and Duststar won't live forever and..."

Thorntail silenced her by flicking his tongue across her ear. "Please don't talk about the future, Rosethorn. Everything I need is right...here," he used his tail to bat at Rosethorn's side.

His idea, it was so... juvenile. Something a kit would come up with. But for a moment, it sounded so ideal. Most of their problems stemmed from everyone else interfering with them and that dratted Warrior Code.

But where would they go? The world was dangerous out there. And --- when she looked down at Ebonypool's daughter, she couldn't help but want something better for her. If they left, the forest would stay just as it was. Corrupt. Rotten.

If they stayed -- rather, if Thorntail became deputy, and then leader of RiverClan, maybe things could change. Maybe Ebonypool's beautiful daughter would grow up in a better place. Where cats like Flamesoul didn't exist. If only...

"We should stay here for now," Thorntail went on. "I mean," he flicked his gaze outside of the fox-hole, where the rain was pouring sheets of rain down. "We have to return the kit, or get it to someone who can take care of it, but if we take it anywhere now, it'll die of cold..." He paused. "I wonder if I should have killed him." It was obvious he spoke in reference to Flamesoul.

Rosethorn beckoned him to come and lay down with her. They cradled the white kitten between them, and the scarlet she-cat answered Thorntail's question. "You probably knew," she sighed, wrapping her tail around his, "that killing Flamesoul wouldn't do anything. The past is the past. I'm glad you didn't," she admitted. She felt his body against hers stiffen with surprise, and she elaborated. "I wanted you to. I wanted to see him die. But... I don't want you to be a murderer. I'm sorry I tried to make you one." She giggled a little. "Thorntail, I just remembered something. Medicine cats --- when kits are born, medicine cats are supposed to consult the stars to see what the kit's future will be like."

"Oh, I heard about that," Thorntail replied. He purred. "I wonder what tangled web the medicine cats predicted for us when we were born?"

Thorntail remained inside, standing by the entrance as Rosethorn padded out and lifted her gaze to the heavens.

Countless StarClan warriors dotted the skies. She remembered how stoically they had watched when Flamesoul had entered her. But now they said something.

Rosethorn knew that Ebonypool would be happy to know of her daughter's good fortune. Actually, she wondered if Ebonypool didn't pull some strings for her up in the heavens.

---

Thorntail watched Rosethorn, grateful that he didn't feel any need to go and consult the stars to see Ebonypool's daughter's future. Waves of water were descending from the sky. "So..." he tried, "what's the news?"

Rosethorn looked distracted. "She's going to be in love, Thorntail," she called back. "But no matter how much she loves this tom, they're never going to be together. Sometimes a wind will blow, and they'll be able to be together for a short time. But even so, Ivorykit is going to be sad."

"Ivorykit?" Thorntail echoed jokingly. "Who is Ivorykit?"

Rosethorn was serious. "She needs a name, Thorntail. Now don't interrupt." Her countenance grew grim. "But one day, something horrible will happen. Something like a fire will erupt in the forest. Both Ivorykit and her lover will die. But," Rosethorn's eyes shone, "but as they are burning, they both will became one in the sky, and the float to the heavens as smoke. They died, but Ivorykit will be happy, because they finally got to be together."

Thorntail quirked an eyebrow. "You see all that in the stars?"

"No," Rosethorn responded. "No, I don't. It's actually a story an elder told me when I was a kit. Back then, it made me really sad."

"And now?"

She came back into the den, and sighed. "Now I'm envious of them."

---

**THAT'S RIGHT! I UPDATED! -cue maniacal laughter-**

**-awkward cough-**

**Okay, what made me do this? Believe it or not, I... I had an overwhelming response to update. Oh, like, in the first hour after I updated. (One review and I knew I had to continue). But then... like, I didn't. My muse. It gots the shots! **

**Then, I got a review. Someone quite matter of factly seemed to be responding to another reviewer. They said, "It's been six months. She's not going to update" Or something of this lines. And I made this face: T_T Because it was a logical deduction.**

**Well, here I am. Updating. And here it is. It might take me awhile to finish this story (but I really had fun writing this chapter. I spent all of my afternoon writing it. It was like the summer when I started this story -- 10 pages a day. I KNOW!) but I will finish it. Everyone could start sending me flames, but I will still finish 'cuz I like it. And I hope other people enjoy it too.**

**Now, while I'm not going to beg for reviews this time, I still like them. So, if you review you get an Ivorykit plushie. And a ZOMG ROXIE UPDATED plushie.**

**Thanks for waiting, everyone.**


	16. Chapter 14

**Enjoy,**

* * *

Rosethorn was gone.

The instant Thorntail regained consciousness, he knew. He knew it just as assuredly as he knew that night followed day, that leaf-fall preceded leafbare. It wouldn't have been clearer, more obtrusively obvious if Rosethorn had waited for him to awaken, announced her departure, and stalked off right before his eyes.

But she hadn't. But even so, he _knew_.

But just as a grief-ridden queen will sometimes try for days to nurse kits who were born into StarClan, hoping that the kit will open its eyes, call her mother though knowing in her heart of hearts that it will never happen, Thorntail began to search for Rosethorn. He had to -- he had to make sure.

So, the gray tomcat stalked out of the stuffy fox-hole and into the chilly morning air, not flinching as his paws led him to a largely overgrown patch of weeds, still wet from the morning dew and from the rain shower the night before.

Maybe, Thorntail thought _(hoped)_ she had gone to make dirt. _(Then why did she take Ivorykit?) _Well, maybe Ivorykit was hungry so she just took the kit with her on a quick hunting expedition. _(Ivorykit can't eat solid foods.)_ Maybe she was just playing a practical joke on him; maybe she'd hop out from behind that bush, announce that she had fooled him, that it had all been a prank. _(Rosethorn wouldn't do that.)_ Maybe she had gone back to the RiverClan camp. (Then why was her scent leading to ThunderClan?)

Sure enough, her scent -- her sweet, comforting scent -- did not lead to the RiverClan camp. Quite the opposite, but true to his prediction, Thorntail soon found that it led to the stepping stones, and from there -- from there, Rosethorn had slipped back into ThunderClan territory. Hers and Ivorykit's scent grew harder to detect here, with the river and smell of fish claiming the air, but it was undeniably _there._

For the first time since Thorntail had met Rosethorn, he cursed her name. "Damn you, Rosethorn!" he howled to the empty space in front of him, to the river before him. He stood as still as a warrior at attention, the hairs on his pelt not even moving to bow to the will of the harsh wind before he finally crumbled and lowered his head to his paws. "Oh, StarClan damn me," he murmured, sheathing and unsheathing his claws. "If I could just make a deal with StarClan and swap places with you, Rosethorn..." he trailed off.

Why would Rosethorn do this?

Did he even have to ask himself that? She had wanted him to be deputy, she had wanted to see him be leader, she had been so worried that RiverClan would be destroyed and -- oh, StarClan was she really so mouse-brained that she went back?

Was _he _really so mouse-brained that he had slept through it? She had been so distracted when she told him the story of 'Ivorykit's Future' --- she had envied the future-Ivorykit and her lover because where they got to become one with one another as smoke, she thought that she and him would never be.

Thorntail found himself envying Ivorykit too.

A harsh wind suddenly picked up, crashing against his side. Thousands of miniature claws were digging into his pelt. The powerful storm wind sent chills down to his very core, and his teeth were chattering against one another by the time it let up. "StarClan," he mumbled, instinctively curling up against himself to collect all the warmth his body had to offer; "now I know why they say ShadowClan gets their black hearts from the cold winds that pass over them. Too long out here and I'll be killing kittens for fun."

The words were still rolling off of his tongue when his spine stiffened and his eyes rounded with the realization. He knew what he had to do.

It bit him, hard, just like the frigid wind that had just passed over him. But this time he didn't curl against it. Instead, he stretched. He had a long walk in front of him. It wouldn't be long, the dull sun lighting up the gray sky told him, before the dawn patrol made its way toward him. He had to miss them.

If he could've made a deal with StarClan to swap their places, he would've made it in an instant. But if he did, he knew for a fact what Rosethorn would do in his current position. There was a solution. He could get her back.

Rosethorn worried for RiverClan's safety? Caught between the alliance of WindClan and ThunderClan? Well, there was one Clan being left out of the mixture.

He couldn't make a deal with StarClan. But he could make a deal with ShadowClan.

He could make a deal with his "father."

He could make a deal with Smokestar.

---

If StarClan were the heavenly paradise of the forest, then ShadowClan was the rate hole.

It was ugly and grim. ShadowClan territory truly was the darkest part of the forest. Calling it a marsh was a high compliment; calling it a bloodthirsty swamp wasn't an exaggeration. ShadowClan lost more apprentices through having them sink into the more treacherous spots in their own territory than they lost kits in leaf-bare. One misstep and even the strongest and most powerful of cats could be swallowed into the bowels, never to be seen again.

It was in this land that Silverleaf had killed his mentor, Goldclaw. It was here that Thorntail led Graywhisker, revealing to him the truth of their heritage.

And it was here that that heritage began. It was here that Lightsnow had seduced Smokestar, knowing that the deputy could get her into his Clan, so that she could be with her true love.

And, most importantly, it was here that, if everything went as planned, Thorntail would sell his loyalty - his soul - to a vengeful, vindictive Smokestar.

Needless to say, the turbulent emotions fluttering around his chest mirrored the dark exterior of their owner's surroundings.

Thorntail slunk through the territory, forcing himself onward. Several times he stepped where he had thought the ground was solid, only to tumble into the gooey swamp.

He had spent some of his apprentice hood here - that gave him some confidence that he might be able to do what he had to do before he was detected. When he had been younger, he had been passed around from Clan to Clan like a plague. If he wasn't honest with himself he might have blamed his later torn loyalties - what he was about to do - on that fact of his childhood. But he knew that anything he had done and would do would be because of his decisions and his decisions alone.

StarClan help him.

Thorntail was still considering all this when a ferocious hiss alerted him to the fact that he was not alone. He stopped in his tracks and whirled to the source of the noise, only to see a bluish apprentice-aged female baring her fangs, arching her back and revealing her unsheathed claws.

"Oh, hey there," he greeted uneasily, taking a few steps backwards. "I'm -"

"RiverClan!" His apparent adversary spat. She repeated her declaration louder as if trying to alert some confederates nearby, before she sent herself flying towards him.

Thorntail was at least twice the she-cat's size, and had over double her experience. But he was still tired from his journey from Stepping Stones and she, for her part, was fresh and exhilarated. Furthermore, Thorntail had no intention of actually hurting the spunky she-cat, where the blue-gray apprentice was, for all she knew, fighting for her very life and her Clanmates back home and was fueled by that knowledge.

But all excuses aside, this apprentice was a strikingly good fighter. She was small, yes, but she had practically adopted the fighting technique of a WindClan cat; relying majorly on her slim frame and the fact that she was a smaller target for her opponent to hit. He lunged and she pulled back, she struck, he struck.

But there was a very good reason why Thorntail was generally welcomed when he pledged his loyalty to a Clan. He was a warrior in the most bare definition of the word if not always in spirit, and had fought more than some other cats far older than him - because he had never limited himself to just fighting in a Clan-sanctioned battle, or just enemies. Within moments -- frantic, furious, fast-paced moments -- she was pinned.

"Kill me!" she spat. "Kill me just like you did Amberpaw, just like you did Pearlpaw, you river-_RAT_!" Her voice rose to shrill heights as she finished, sending some birds that had been resting in earshot taking off in flight.

"I'm not going to kill you," Thorntail reasoned with her, though he didn't remove his front paws from their spot on her shoulders. She had been one of the few opponents he had had difficulty bringing down, and he wasn't in the mood to attempt such a feat again. "I'm Thorntail. Smokestar's -- son."

"Smokestar's--" the she-cat broke off, twisting her neck so she could stare at Thorntail in wonder. The awe faded, however, and she began struggling again. "It doesn't matter! Smokestar will still kill you when he finds out you murdered his apprentice!" It sounded as though she was trying harder to convince herself that she would be avenged than Thorntail.

Though, this did explain a lot. This little she-cat was Smokestar's apprentice. He thought he might've recalled hearing her name at a gathering. Sapphirepaw. It made sense that she was so skilled now; Smokestar was such an egotist that he wouldn't accept anything less than perfect from his pupil. He would be willing to bet a moon's worth of robins that this blue-gray female was also one of the best trackers and hunters in ShadowClan. In a few moons, she'd have legions of tomcats padding after her, each wanting to mix in their genes with such a skilled warrior.

But he still had to get one thing clear. "I didn't murder anyone, and I'm not going to kill you. I just want to -- fox-dung!" he swore, hearing a chorus of furious yowls around him. Sapphirepaw's cries for help earlier had been answered.

To his relief, she hadn't summoned an entire ShadowClan patrol. Instead, she had merely summoned a cloud-furred female warrior and a black-and-white tomcat that looked just a few moons older than Smokestar's defeated apprentice.

The tomcat looked ready to fly towards the RiverClan intruder and have his go at trying to claw his eyes out right then and there, but a white tail on his shoulder silenced that endeavor. The calm brown pools of the warrior's eyes met his, and she spoke in a low, mellowing tone. "Who are you, RiverClanner? What is your name?"

Thorntail was relieved that he had met a ShadowClan cat willing to listen to reason, even if he supposed she was only hesitating because he still had the other apprentice planted firmly beneath him. He had accidentally taken a hostage. "My name is Thorntail," he meowed. "And --"

One of the things ShadowClan is best known for is their trickery and deceit. He had been one of them before, he should have known. He was midsentence when the white she-cat yowled and barreled into him, knocking him off of Smokestar's apprentice. Thorntail recovered quickly, and whirled to face Sapphirepaw, and the white cat he recognized as Shimmerpelt. To his surprise, now that she had recovered it seemed that Sapphirepaw naturally fell into the leader's role. Where he had expected Shimmerpelt to come at him again, instead Sapphirepaw made the first move and flew like a hawk towards him. He lifted a paw to bat her out of the sky before she could collide with him, but while he was distracted he felt something clamber onto his back. He jerked his head around to see that the young tomcat had climbed onto him, and was now digging his entire collection of claws into his back. Thorntail snapped his neck forward to try and grab for him, but the moment he did the two she-warriors came forward and attacked from separate flanks.

Thorntail soon managed to bat Shimmerpelt away, and send the tomcat tumbling off of him. His fur was mangled and the side of his face was bleeding when he whirled back towards Sapphirepaw for Round II. To her credit, even though two more experienced cats had to take a moment to recover and lick their wounds before they flew back into the fray, she didn't quiver or shake. But that was where Thorntail had to stop complimenting her, because he soon had her pinned as well.

It grew repetitious. There were three cats, and they seemed to know without even exchanging a glance what they were going to do. Whenever one of them had to take a breather, they just would. Where the trio could each step backwards and take breaks, Thorntail had to stay fighting the whole time, and it wasn't long before he began to grow exhausted.

Things got really bad when he defeated Shimmerpelt for the umpteenth time. He sent her tumbling backwards, and he had whirled towards Sapphirepaw, predicting that she would be his next opponent (again) only to see -- well, he saw Sapphirepaw.

And Whitesky.

And Ravenfeather.

And Foxheart.

And a whole host of other very angry and very powerful ShadowClan cats.

Clearly, Shimmerpelt and the tomcat hadn't been the only ones to hear Sapphirepaw's cries for help. Probably another apprentice had accompanied them, but had been sent back to camp. News of a full-out attack from RiverClan had spread, and Smokestar had brought an army.

As much as Thorntail despised Smokestar, he had to admit: of all the four leaders in the forest, he was easily the most competent. He had more experience than Streamstar or Timidstar, but still had his slimy wits about him; he wasn't senile, like Duststar. And sure enough, Smokestar was perched in front of his army like a true leader, his muscles rippling beneath his pale gray pelt, his eyes glittering. _(With bloodlust? Joy? Excitement? All three?)_

Thorntail tensed, waiting for the wave of warriors to descend upon him, but when they didn't, he waved at them gently with his tail. "Hello there," he greeted.

While jeers and creative profanity was yowled into the sky by the ShadowClan cats, Smokestar didn't reply. Thorntail would have thought that Smokestar was stone just like his pelt-color except for the small tip of the leader's tail was twitching. Smokestar's eyes burned into Thorntail's, before he finally meowed, "Well, you certainly know how to make an entrance. Not that I'm surprised, considering who we're talking about." Thorntail flinched at the jab, and Smokestar's followers howled with delight.

Thorntail, for once, couldn't find the proper words. Finally he sputtered, "Smokestar, I needed to speak to you."

Smokestar's response was quick, leaderly. "Do you have a message from Duststar?"

"No, from me."

Once again, the only part of Smokestar that moved was his tail tip. It bounced back and forth in a monotonous, melodious rhythm.

Thorntail was left, staring at an army of ShadowClan cats howling for his blood, entirely at the mercy of Smokestar. Still, Smokestar showed no movement -- no sign that he had even heard what Thorntail said.

Finally, Smokestar's deputy, Ravenfeather, spoke, giving orders to her warriors. "Thorntail doesn't seem to have a patrol with him. He might be here to distract us. Snowheart," she rattled off a list of warriors, "go to check the border, Foxheart I want you to…" Ravenfeather had easily taken control, and soon the legion of ShadowClan started to disintegrate.

There were still a handful of warriors at Smokestar's side, and Thorntail thought that maybe he should just go ahead and speak to him even with the audience. But then Smokestar meowed, "Leave us. Go join Snowheart's patrol. I'll take care of our visitor myself."

He didn't have to speak twice. With a snap in their step, the last of his minions vanished.

Thorntail stared at Smokestar. He realized that, for the first time since Graywhisker died, he was alone with Smokestar.

He had sheathed his claws earlier, to show that he wasn't a threat to the army of ShadowClan cats. Now that he was alone, he noticed that they had instinctively slipped out again. He was like a kit in the river, entirely at the mercy of the current. He prayed that the current would be merciful.

Smokestar was staring back at Thorntail. His eyes like Flamesoul's, like Silverleaf's, were emeralds. Not just in color, but like the precious gem. An emerald has no feeling, no emotion, and no life. Smokestar's eyes didn't, either. They were green stones.

"I'm very busy Thorntail," Smokestar finally spoke, his voice breaking the silence. It seemed to create ripples in the air, like a stone makes ripples in the water. "My Clan is at war with yours. My warriors," he nodded to where they had retreated, "they think that I am going to end this conversation by slaying you, I'm sure. I hope you have reason enough for me not to live up to their expectations." His voice rose at the end of the sentence, making it sound like a question. When Thorntail didn't respond, Smokestar punctuated with, "I have no interest of being pushed around by your selfishness."

Any other day, any other time, in this situation, Thorntail would've lunged right there. He would've gone straight for the throat, straight for the killing mark. But this wasn't any other day.

Smokestar clearly had been expecting Thorntail to live up to these expectations, because he quirked an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You're a smart tom. You've a quick wit, always something to say. Say something." It was a command.

Thorntail swallowed his pride. Smokestar was the only thing, the only hope left. "I can't. I can't argue with you." He stared helplessly at Smokestar. "You're right. You always knew one day, I'd have to depend on you, didn't you?" He had sent Ravenfeather to him countless of times, always reminding him of their past. Thorntail continued, "Well, that day is here."

Smokestar's tail-tip never stopped twitching. "You need the...strength of ShadowClan then?"

"Yes," Thorntail nodded confirmation, though every time his head bobbed he felt his jaw clench more. "It's ShadowClan's strength, I need. Your position as leader. Your Clan's loyalty..." It hurt, his heart wrenched, but for Rosethorn he stared into Smokestar's emerald-stone eyes and begged. "Please, lend me everything you have."

Smokestar blinked, once. "What did you just say?" he meowed.

Thorntail thought he would have to bite off each and every word, but they rolled neatly off of his tongue and into the air. "I'd like to use ShadowClan, your position, everything you have...to help me."

Smokestar's response was quick, pointed. "Are you out of your mind?"

Right now, for all he knew, Rosethorn was with Flamesoul. To prevent a war, to prevent him from giving up his dream, she might be -- oh, StarClan she might be ---

Thorntail was defeated, he knew. Flamesoul had beaten him, been able to use Clan politics to reel Rosethorn back to him. But he might not be able to defeat Smokestar. It was a hope, a prayer he clung to helplessly.

Thorntail paused before answering. "There's a she-cat," he meowed. "I'd like to save her. I want to set her free. But," he remembered striking Flamesoul, how he had made that tomcat bleed, "instead of helping her, I just backed her into a corner. I - "

Thorntail was interrupted by Smokestar's purring. Thorntail's jaw dropped as the low rumble floated around him.

"You want to use my power?" Smokestar asked, the purr still rumbling from his throat. "Well, isn't that interesting." His eyes lit up as he rolled them to the side in thought. "It was pretty recently, wasn't it, that I sent Ravenfeather to speak to you at a gathering, to try and offer you my help then. You told her you didn't need ShadowClan, that you never wanted her to approach you again. And the words aren't even out of your mouth before you come crawling back again."

Thorntail flinched at the truth, the blatant honesty of Smokestar's statements.

The purr had subsided, and Smokestar's voice was hard as he continued. "If that's how you think you can act, then I have been grossly underestimated."

The feeling left his legs. Thorntail, he couldn't breathe.

"No matter what your circumstances are," Smokestar continued, harsh, unforgiving, "did you think that after all this time of disregarding everything I have done or have tried to do for you, of not listening to anything I said, that I would regard you? That I would listen to anything you said?" He rose to his paws. "This world isn't as easy as you have been led to believe. Go home."

It had been given so easily, that order. Just as if Smokestar had been ordering him to go on a hunting patrol, he had just ordered him to abandon Rosethorn. The simplicity of that statement, the power that it held, was surreal.

Thorntail, he was tempted to go home. He didn't want to speak with Smokestar, he didn't want to be insulted, and he didn't want to do what he knew he would have to do to get Rosethorn back.

But he wanted Rosethorn back. And Smokestar was the only hope, the only StarClan warrior showing his face through the clouds. He would not have his life with Rosethorn ruined before it had even begun.

"I can't leave right now," Thorntail struggled to keep his voice steady, but failed.

He took a step forward, blocking Smokestar's original path of retreat. He bowed his head. "Please," he mewed, his voice the soft whimper of a kitten's, "I'm begging you. Help me." His heart was pounding in his chest, his tongue was dry. "She--she can't live with herself if she thinks cats die because of her. Because of me. I'll do whatever you say," he pressed, slowly raising his eyes. "I'd offer you my life -- I don't care about what happens to me, but if I die, I won't be able to protect her anymore."

"Surely this she-cat's Clan can..."

Thorntail would have allowed Smokestar to finish his statement, but the leader just trailed off. Thorntail continued, "If you have a problem with my attitude, I can change it. I'll do whatever you say. You want us to come to ShadowClan with you? We'll be there in a moment's notice."

Smokestar interrupted now. "I don't believe my Clan would be so accepting of newcomers without a _good_ reason."

Thorntail's stomach clenched. "I don't care," he growled, "if I have to bully, lie, steal, or kill for you to help me." He lowered his gaze again, and finally lowered his head so that his chin brushed the ground. "If you need a spy to help you launch an attack against RiverClan, then I will do it."

Three breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Finally, Smokestar turned away. "I'll go speak with Ravenfeather. Come along, then. If you want me to solve your little problem," a bounce fell into his step, "then you're going to tell me just what it is."

* * *

**Yup, I updated everyone. _ I KNOW!_ None of you thought I would. But I did. I hope my muse is back. I'm going to try and use it until it runs away again. -nods- **

**I was so happy with the overwhelming response I got even after such a long hiatus. Thank you to all my loyal readers and the new ones! I am so happy! I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you stick around until the bitter end. **

**ANYWAYS... -pause- Short chapter (7 pages) but I think...a lot happened. I hope everyone's motives are clear cut and understandable; I'm not sure if I got Rosethorn's motivation quite down at the end of the last chapter... heh...heh...heh... **

**Review and you'll get a -- a Second Edition Smokestar plushie?**

**Or is this third edition?**

**You'll get a Smokestar plushie with a Santa Hat. I bet that hasn't been done yet.... **


	17. Chapter 15

**Happy Holidays, everyone!**

**Enjoy,**

* * *

"Applefur, no!" Blackshadow struggled to keep his voice firm, to not let it waver, even under his mate's piercing blue glare. "You should stay with the kits. I'm not going to let you go hunting for Rosethorn when –" he broke off as the wind raised its voice, howling like a hound, overlapping all other sounds. He waited for it to fade before finishing, "that's going on." He flicked his tail into a circle, citing the wind storm around them to prove his point. The sun had gone down so quickly that some cats were saying half-jokingly that it had been blown away.

Blackshadow had just returned from a short-lived ShadowClan border patrol. Short-lived not because of any lack of heart from himself or his Clanmates, or even because of an overly aggressive ShadowClan party. The wind had picked up so much strength that he had been concerned that his entire three-cat patrol would be blown away. It was dangerous outside of camp, and he knew that it would be best to stick close to home.

Applefur's eyes ignited. "Blackshadow," she hissed, "I couldn't go to her before because Beakclaw's patrol practically chased me back to camp under Flamesoul's orders. 'Queens shouldn't be so close to enemy territory'," she quoted with a spit. "What a pile of fox-dung. Flamesoul wanted me out of the way. And neither he nor Rosethorn have come back yet." She widened her eyes for emphasis. "Blackshadow, don't you see? Can't you figure out what's going to happen if I don't go to her?"

Blackshadow's mind quickly scanned for a reason to keep Applefur at camp. He was worried for her safety, but if Applefur had a suspicion that he was coddling her he would receive a swift cuff on the ear and the mother of his kits would charge out of camp into the worst wind storm that he had ever seen. "Applefur, Sandpelt gave orders," he tried. "We have to get the kits secure, bury the fresh-kill so it doesn't get flung away, find -- Applefur," he meowed, "We have to do our duty to our Clan."

"Our kits aren't going to go flying off, Blackshadow," Applefur rolled her eyes. "And the rest of the Clan can handle everything else. I need to help Rosethorn." She stared meaningfully at him. "ThunderClan failed her, Blackshadow. I'm ThunderClan. I need to remedy our honor. But more than that," she shrugged helplessly, "she's my best friend. And she's one of yours too. Wouldn't you do the same?"

"Yes. Yes I would," Blackshadow's response had come instantly, without orders from him. He shuffled his paws before continuing. "In fact, I will. If you stay here," he pleaded.

A wry tongue swept across Applefur's lips before she asked sardonically, "What about Sandpelt's orders?"

Blackshadow wasn't going to pad right into a trap. Instead he meowed, "But I'm not as alarmed for Rosethorn's safety as one of ours' if we went out there. It's so windy that nothing-" he had to raise his voice to be heard above the storm, "nothing could happen."

"And that's why I don't trust you out there," Applefur snapped. "You don't realize how dire this is! If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself!" She nodded in agreement with herself, before she whirled and moved to charge out of the gorse tunnel.

Blackshadow moved to stop her, but didn't have to. At that moment, Twilightfur came barreling into camp. She was in such a rush that she failed to notice Applefur going to opposite direction, and in a heartbeat the two ThunderClan she-cats were in a tangled pile.

Twilightfur was the first to recover. She merely gave Applefur a cursory glance before unapologetically pelting deeper into camp, tearing a yowling demand of attention from her throat that easily rose above the screaming wind.

"Hey, how dare -- " Applefur began, but Blackshadow placed a tail on her shoulder and watched as the ThunderClan cats gathered at Twilightfur's call, along with the visiting WindClan cats, Skyclaw and Rabbitfur.

Tail or no tail, it was obvious that Applefur was still going to try for the exit. But to Blackshadow's relief, she stopped midstride when Twilightfur announced why she had tried to gain the attention of her Clanmates.

"It's RiverClan!" Twilightfur's sister meowed breathlessly. "They invaded Sunnningrocks."

Blackshadow's heart started to pound to a quicker beat without his permission as Twilightfur gave her report. But it stopped dead when the blue-gray warrior finished, "From what I can gather, they attacked Flamesoul while he was trying to assist Ebonypool's kitting. I believe that, because of the distraction, he wasn't able to give her the proper assistance and," the she-cat paused, "now Ebonypool is --- she is dead."

Yowls of outrage erupted throughout the camp. Even the WindClan cats looked furious. Alliance aside, attacking a medicine cat - especially one in his own territory assisting a queen giving birth - was a disgrace for all involved. ThunderClan, for not being able to defend their own, and RiverClan, for sinking so low in the first place.

Streamstar instantly assumed the role of leader and perched herself on HighRock. Once the ferocious howls had faded into a murderous silence, the Clan leader asked Twilightfur, "Where is everyone, then? Shrewtail and Badgerclaw were patrolling with you, weren't they? And Flamesoul, where is he? Is-- is he...?"

"He's fine," Twilightfur assured her. "He's injured, though. I would've assisted him here but he ordered me to go on ahead and tell everyone what happened. Shrewtail and Badgerclaw went after the RiverClan patrol. The cowards retreated before we could meet them in battle." Blackshadow detected a trace of bitterness in her tone.

"Without orders?" Streamstar flattened her ears. "Acting blindly with thoughts of revenge could be disastrous. They should have fallen back and allowed us to --"

"Ebonypool's kit was stolen." Twilightfur cut her off. Her voice was quivering with anger. "They tried to go find her. Unfortunately, it'll be impossible to find the kit or the patrol in this storm." To illustrate Twilightfur's point, the storm roared thunder from afar.

Blackshadow's jaw dropped. They attacked a medicine cat, and stole a kit? Great StarClan, had RiverClan gone mad?

Applefur read his thoughts. "This doesn't make sense," she mumbled to herself. "Assaulting a medicine cat, interfering with the medicine cat's duties, kidnapping... I can't think of a more blunt assault on ThunderClan's pride since our deputy vied for leadership of WindClan. But---but this isn't adding up."

"Do you think Rosethorn's okay?" Blackshadow asked.

Applefur gave him a look that his mentor usually reserved for when he got a question wrong. "This doesn't make sense," she declared, loud enough so she captured everyone's attention. Her voice didn't waver as she continued. "I saw Rosethorn. She was trying to help Ebonypool have her kits. She sent me away to get some herbs, and that's when Aquamist and Beakclaw found me."

Blackshadow cringed. Applefur had just given up Rosethorn's location. It had been a secret, even though it was one that couldn't possibly be kept for long. But he supposed that if Twilightfur's patrol really hunted for the kit's scent, they would detect Rosethorn's as well.

"This doesn't make sense," Applefur repeated. "Where was Rosethorn when this attack took place?"

To the listeners, the story kept on growing more and more convoluted and curious. Murmurs of confusion broke out from the Clan.

"Rosethorn's alive?"

"I knew it! She ran off to RiverClan!"

"That traitorous piece of fox-dung. She probably helped in the attack!"

Applefur's fur bristled at the harsher statements. "Rosethorn wouldn't betray us. She is one of my closest friends and -- she wouldn't do that."

Blackshadow's eyes strayed to Streamstar atop the HighRock. Her eyes were narrowed into slits as she observed her Clan trying to decipher the clues of the attack. To his surprise, when Applefur brought up Rosethorn's existence, they didn't brighten with joy at her daughter's safety. Instead they darkened to match her tone as the white she-cat growled, "You saw an enemy warrior in ThunderClan territory, Applefur, and you left her alone with a birthing queen?"

For once, Applefur was speechless. But in three heartbeats she was fully recovered and whirled on her leader. "She is my Clan leader's daughter!" she snarled. "And Flamesoul was nowhere to be found. Rosethorn was a medicine cat, and I thought having her at Ebonypool's side would be better than nobody. She wanted to _save_ Ebonypool, not leave her to die!"

"Did she smell of ThunderClan? Is she still a medicine cat?" Streamstar asked, not unfazed by Applefur's display of disrespect. When Applefur didn't respond, she shook her head. "No. Therefore she was an enemy warrior. An enemy warrior you let roam freely in ThunderClan territory. And you didn't report seeing Rosethorn to either Beakclaw or Aquamist when they found you?" The leader's voice was calm, but her snowy fur was bristling to make her look twice her size.

Applefur flinched. "Are you accusing me of -"

Blackshadow didn't hear the rest of the argument. Instead, his attention was stolen by a familiar scent brushing against his scent glands. He whipped his head around to see Flamesoul limp into the camp. His orange fur was caked with blood, but his viridian eyes were aglow. He looked more like a warrior returning from a triumphant battle than a medicine cat returning with collected injuries. With all the excitement, he had snuck into the camp unnoticed.

"Applefur was not in the wrong," Flamesoul rasped, approaching the HighRock. The cats parted so that he could make his way over unobtrusively. "Rosethorn committed no sin against ThunderClan."

Blackshadow held his breath.

"But Thorntail --- he has," Flamesoul growled. "He was the RiverClan warrior who attacked me. Are we going to allow that --- that halfClan carrion insult us like this?" He waved his tail across his bloody side, punctuating his point.

Seeing Flamesoul gave life to all of the cats' imaginations. The arctic hatred that chilled through the Clan made the previous outbursts of rage seem friendly.

"What we should do," Beakclaw growled, the tan tabby shifting his gaze from Flamesoul to stare meaningfully at his leader, "is raid RiverClan's camp today. We need to find that kit."

"And take revenge," Aquamist added from her seat beside him.

"No, what we should do is think about this!" Blackshadow leapt in, his voice rising above all the others. His Clanmates shifted their attention to him. "Streamstar, you were just saying that if we act blindly then it could lead to disastrous results. Yes, we have WindClan's aid," he gave a nod of acknowledgment to Skyclaw who was seated nearby, "but that may not be enough. Remember the Gathering?" he asked. "At the last Gathering, we promised ShadowClan that we would be taking back the territory by the Thunderpath they stole. You think Smokestar is going to sit there and just let us? No, he's going to want to fight for it. If we attack RiverClan, we'll be facing two Clans -- two Clans that are far larger than ours."

The Clan thought this over for a moment, before Morninglight, his former apprentice, snorted, "That's mouse-brained. You saw them at the last Gathering, Blackshadow. RiverClan and ShadowClan are at each other's throats. ShadowClan even murdered RiverClan's deputy. There's no way that they'll join forces."

"They won't have to," Blackshadow meowed. "Even acting completely independently, they will still manage to win. We'll have to double patrols on both their borders. Do we have enough paws for such a task?"

Morninglight didn't retreat. "They'll be doubling their patrols too! RiverClan will have to worry about us and ShadowClan. Each of them will be fighting every Clan in the forest. They'll exhaust one another, and we will be victorious!"

"And what if we don't attack RiverClan, Blackshadow?" Beakclaw challenged. "Should we just let them invade our territory whenever they feel like it? We need to show them that ThunderClan will not allow that to happen."

"So we should stop antagonizing ShadowClan?" Blackshadow shot back. "If we don't hold true to our promise to taking our territory back from ShadowClan, Smokestar will take it as a sign of weakness. We can't fight both RiverClan and ShadowClan at once!"

"RiverClan isn't a real Clan, Blackshadow! They're full of half-Clan carrion from Duststar! One of our pure-blooded ThunderClan cats could slay seven of their half-Clanners!"

A new voice joined the fray. It was one of Applefur's denmates, a black-and-golden queen, Dusktail. She was usually soft-spoken and frail, but her eyes were ignited with a fire. "I agree with Blackshadow," she meowed. "My kits are going to be apprentices soon. I didn't raise them so that they could be sent to StarClan by our overzealousness!"

"That's right," Applefur meowed, resting her tail on Dusktail's quivering shoulder. "This moon will be many of our kits' sixth. They'll become apprentices just in time for needless fighting. When fighting ShadowClan, at least we might be able to get some territory back. What will we get from RiverClan?"

"Ebonypool's kit," Morninglight reminded her. "Or are we just going to let the kit of one of our own be raised by RiverClan? Or maybe it's worse, maybe they already killed her!"

"And like you said Applefur," Beakclaw meowed, "a lot of our kits are going to be apprentices this moon. We're going to have a lot more paws for the patrols."

"That's enough!" Streamstar finally broke in, silencing every cat and bringing order to the chaos. She paused, sweeping her gaze over the Clan before lowering her head. "We must think carefully about this. Flamesoul, Sandpelt, Swiftfoot," she flicked her gaze over each cat as she named them in the crowd. "What do you suppose we do?"

Swiftfoot, Streamstar's former deputy, spoke first. "What RiverClan did is unforgivable. It's unquestionable that we must strike now."

Sandpelt nodded her agreement. "I can start organizing the battle patrol right now, Streamstar."

Streamstar looked at the ginger tom. "What about you, Flamesoul?" she queried her medicine cat.

"RiverClan has stolen more than just Ebonypool's kit," he pointed out. "Rosethorn is as much a prisoner there as Ebonypool's daughter is. We have to get both of them back. I suggest you allow Sandpelt to organize the patrol. RiverClan almost killed me -- my injuries may not be very deep, but they are numerous, and they almost sent me to a watery grave a Sunningrocks. For the sake of ThunderClan's pride, a raid is in order."

Flamesoul kept speaking, but Blackshadow noticed that Streamstar's expression contorted into panic and her gaze grew cloudy the moment her brought up Rosethorn's name. When he finished, Streamstar hesitated. Where she had clearly been leaning towards her deputy and former deputy's suggestion, now it looked as if she wanted to wait. "Well," Streamstar finally spoke, "if we were to do this, I suppose we would need WindClan's assistance. I wouldn't like to do anything without first conferring with Timidstar. We should see what her opinion is."

Skyclaw, a WindClan warrior, spoke up. "That is very kind of you, Streamstar, but Timidstar gave Rabbitfur and I orders to follow you as if you were our leader for as long as we lived in your camp. We will be glad to go into battle with ThunderClan," she dipped her head. "If WindClan's medicine cat had been attacked and one of our queens' kits had been stolen, we like to think that you would come to our aid as well."

ThunderClan yowled its approval, but Streamstar shook her head. "No. We'd need more than just you and Rabbitfur for the attack to be successful. RiverClan nearly doubles our size. We're going to need more assistance. We'll have to ask Timidstar." Her voice was firm.

Beakclaw wasn't dissuaded. He opened his mouth to argue, but Streamstar kinked her tail for silence. "My orders are clear," she growled. "Skyclaw, would you escort Aquamist and Icepelt to your camp? They will tell Timidstar of the situation. We won't do anything until their return."

"To go all the way to WindClan's camp and back?" Aquamist asked, cocking her head to the side. "Streamstar, we won't be back until dawn tomorrow. And that's if we don't rest or get-" a loud crash could be heard in the distance, making every cat jump. The storm may have gone as far as to sweep a tree off of its roots "interrupted." Aquamist flattened herself against the earth.

"Oh. Well, then we should hold off any decision until we can speak with Timidstar. And we must postpone meeting with Timidstar until the storm blows over. We don't want --- we don't want to do anything to antagonize WindClan on top of everything." Before any cat could argue more, Streamstar began to dismiss the meeting, and, before she could be interrupted, flew off of the HighRock.

"What was that all about?" Applefur muttered, approaching Blackshadow now that the meeting had apparently come to an end. "Why's she being so indecisive? Streamstar has always, for better or for worse, made decisions quick."

Blackshadow caught her bitter tone, and reprimanded half-heartedly, "You shouldn't say that about our leader."

"She had Robinwing executed with little proof; she let Flamesoul come in with little thought... Blackshadow, she's impulsive," Applefur spat crossly. "Why's she suddenly thinking things through? Did StarClan finally give her the gift of forethought?"

Through it all: the mystery of what happened at Sunningrocks, his concern for Rosethorn and ThunderClan's survival, Blackshadow had to purr at the traitorous statement. That was why he loved Applefur. He felt the exact same way about Streamstar. It was hard to respect her after knowing what she had done to her own kit. But he could never find the courage to say what he thought out loud. Applefur, she had enough courage for the whole forest.

"Well, you can't do anything for Rosethorn now," Blackshadow sighed. "And anyway, she's out of immediate danger." He nodded at Flamesoul, who was seeking refuge in his den. But Blackshadow didn't know if he was trying to convince Applefur or himself.

"She better be okay," his mate growled. "Otherwise I'm gonna --- "

"Go to sleep, Applefur," Blackshadow meowed, flicking his tongue across her ear. "StarClan knows I wish I could. I have to guard the camp tonight."

After some more coaxing, Blackshadow was finally given the privilege of seeing his mate slink off into the security of the nursery. She wasn't the only one heading off to a much-deserved sleep. The majority of the Clan had been working double time today, and were eager to return to their nests.

Soon the only cats not curled up and dreaming were Blackshadow and Icepelt, the night-guards. The wind was powerful and frightened the Clan cats, but the thought of another Clan taking advantage of the weather and attacking frightened them even more. So even if StarClan themselves gave orders to the contrary, the guards were not to leave their posts.

Straightening his shoulders, Blackshadow determined to do just that. He hunched himself by the gorse tunnel, tucking his paws beneath his stomach and curling his tail in on itself, hoping to collect and keep as much body heat as possible. Icepelt had a similar idea, and soon the two cats were nestled against one another, trying to pretend that the harsh squall roaring overhead was normal.

They shared tongues, exchanging information. Apparently Sandpelt's kits were the first of the current boom to reach their sixth moon. Icepelt happily announced that she had been chosen to mentor Sandpelt's son, Tiberkit. It was a high honor, as Tiberkit was both the current and former deputy's kit, and Icepelt was justly proud. But Blackshadow wasn't too surprised. The Clan had a young population, and although Icepelt would be, in most times, considered a young warrior, she was now the senior female warrior in the Clan.

But Blackshadow only half-listened to Icepelt's cheerful chatter about her good fortune. His mind was on other things. His own kits hadn't been born too long after Sandpelt's. That meant that soon Blazekit, Petalkit, Baykit, and Nightkit would be apprentices. His tail curled with anticipation. He prayed to StarClan Streamstar would choose him to mentor one of them.

His thoughts were interrupted by Icepelt leaping to her paws, her hackles rising. "Who goes there?" the white she-cat snarled, curling her lip.

Blackshadow followed her lead, and unsheathed his claws. Icepelt's senses hadn't betrayed her, there was definitely a cat slipping through the gorse tunnel.

He sheathed his talons when he saw the scarlet fur, and smelled a warm ThunderClan scent, hardly masked by a RiverClan exterior.

"Rosethorn!" he greeted, and placed his tail on Icepelt's shoulder to signal her to allow the ginger she-cat to enter the camp. Icepelt hesitated, but stepped aside, and Rosethorn hesitantly slipped through the tunnel.

Icepelt was still being hostile, but she didn't protest as Blackshadow meowed, "Why are you here?" He swept his gaze over Rosethorn, and his eyes widened when he finally noticed the small white bundle hanging from her mouth. "Great StarClan! Is that Ebonypool's daughter?"

Icepelt didn't waste any time. "I'll get a queen," she breathed, snatching the kit from Rosethorn's jaws and disappearing into the nursery.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Blackshadow sighed, now that he was alone. "I -- Applefur -- we both were so worried about you. Are you okay? Thanks for bringing the kit back." He shot every statement out in such quick succession that there was no way for Rosethorn to respond. He realized this, and shuffled his paws awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

He examined the ground beneath him, waiting for an answer that never came. Instead there was an empty silence. Almost like she had gotten up and left. Only the symphony of air made itself heard.

Curious, he raised his eyes. "Rosethorn?" he pressed.

No sooner did he speak than did Rosethorn take a mere step forward and bury her muzzle in his chest. Blackshadow felt his eyes widen. He could feel her breath against his dark pelt. It was quick, haggard.

The warrior felt a ghost of empathetic pain, though he still couldn't place the feeling. Humiliation? Sadness? Bitterness?

"Rosethorn, what's wrong?" He was surprised at his own voice. It had become unnaturally low, unnaturally rough without permission from him.

He felt her mouth move against his chest, and he could vaguely hear her soft mews, but they were drowned by the ocean of wind. But she was still quivering.

Blackshadow's claws slipped from their sheaths again. This struck a nerve. A raw nerve. What had happened out there while he had been on his border patrol? Had it been RiverClan? Flamesoul?

Flamesoul.

Just thinking of the name brought to mind terrifying images of a kit, screaming for help from her mother or her Clan, struggling to fight her attacker off, and struggling to stay "pure." And suddenly Blackshadow felt like he was sitting in a snowstorm rather than a windstorm. He could practically feel the icicles form on his whiskers.

Blackshadow began, "Rosethorn - "

"Rosethorn!"

His meow was overtaken by another cat's yowl. Rosethorn fell away from him, and both cats shifted their eyes towards Streamstar, who was bounding forward.

Blackshadow, even seeing Streamstar's earlier less-than-motherly reaction to Applefur's story, still expected to see some sort of joyous reunion. He vaguely recalled being a kit and sneaking over to the elder's den for interesting stories. When he returned, his mother, Flowertail, had always bombarded him with legions of enthusiastic licks, no matter how long he had been missing.

But if Blackshadow hadn't known better, he wouldn't have ever guessed in hundreds of moons that his Clan leader and friend were kin. There wasn't an enthusiastic greeting, and licking tongues were kept safely in their owner's mouths. There wasn't even a brush of the fur; the two she-cats had a good tail-length between them.

Streamstar's gaze raked across her daughter, eyes narrowed into slits. She reminded him of himself when he was eyeing a piece of prey, wondering whether or not it was worth the kill. Rosethorn's eyes were on her paws.

"Why are you here?" Streamstar finally asked.

"I had to bring Ivorykit home." To Rosethorn's credit, her voice didn't waver.

"Ivorykit?" Streamstar echoed her eyes clouded with confusion. Then it cleared. "Oh. Ebonypool's daughter. It is usually the mother, or in this tragic case, the Clanmates of the kit who have the good fortune to name her."

"I am Ivorykit's Clanmate," Rosethorn meowed, her eyes finally rising to meet Streamstar's. But they shot back down as she added, "Or, I'd like to be."

"...Let's talk about this in my den."

And in the blink of an eye, his Clan leader and one of his closest friends, vanished into the HighRock. The wind tossed their scents away carelessly, and if it weren't for the fiery rage in his chest warming him as evidence, he would've thought that he had dreamed the whole exchange.

...

Applefur was not happy with any cat, least of all Streamstar.

But then, Streamstar wasn't a happy cat either. Applefur's instincts told her that the moment she stepped into her leader's den. Streamstar generally had a white coat that shined like Silverpelt, but it was so matted and filthy that it was hard to believe that it was envied by cats in all Clans. Her eyes were cloudy, and it was clear that the leader hadn't slept the night before.

Applefur didn't bother hiding her amusement, and she even allowed a purr to rumble into her voice as she dipped her head and meowed, "You wanted to see me, Streamstar?"

Applefur hadn't ever had a powerful distaste for Streamstar. She was Clan leader, and as such Applefur had, in the past, respected her. In fact, they had had almost had a bond of friendship between one another which included joking around with one another; Streamstar making up stories about how Applefur was chipping away her lives, and so on.

And naturally, Applefur had always associated her Clan leader with good things. Streamstar had given her a mentor, and later made her a warrior. She had been there for an informal kit-naming ceremony, and would one day name those kits' mentors. She was and would be a main character in some of Applefur's most precious memories. By all accounts, Applefur should have associated her with warmth and pleasantness. One time she had.

But that had changed.

Streamstar had sacrificed her own daughter to Flamesoul, just so the Clan would have a medicine cat. While Applefur had been dutifully raised to believe that the Clan was more important than any individual cat, when she thought of her own daughters, Petalkit and Baykit, she couldn't have been more disgusted with the snow-colored female before her. Even if Rosethorn hadn't been Applefur's most precious friend and ally, she knew that the rock in her stomach would weigh her down just as much.

Streamstar's ear twitched at Applefur's tone, but if she found it disrespectful she didn't comment on it. "Have you spoken to Rosethorn, yet?" Rosethorn had been back for a little over a day now.

Applefur's fur was the pelt bristling now. "How dare you ask me that!" she fumed. "If I had, I certainly wouldn't tell you what we talked about!" Now, now she knew she was definitely being disrespectful, and if her old mentor had been here she would have been cuffed over the ear. But what could she do? She was angry, and she wasn't going to make allowances this time. Not even for her leader. "Why is Rosethorn back?" she countered. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Applefur hated herself.

Her leader's eyes glinted. "So Rosethorn hasn't spoken to you, either." Applefur couldn't tell if Streamstar's tone was that of relief or despair. "Otherwise you'd know. She tells you everything."

"Yes," Applefur confirmed hotly, lashing her tail behind her. "She tells me _everything_, Streamstar." She stared at her Clan leader in disgust.

"Look I didn't mean -- StarClan," Streamstar licked the puffy fur on her chest, "when did she make an alliance with you?"

"What happened?" Applefur repeated her earlier question. "Rosethorn's been back for almost two days and she won't speak to anyone. Why is she back? _What did you do to her?_" Applefur couldn't help it; she allowed her claws to slip from their sheaths, even though she would love to still call herself ThunderClan tomorrow.

"We recovered her from RiverClan. _Flamesoul_ recovered her from RiverClan," Streamstar's voice was a hoarse whisper.

Applefur let her eyes roll. "No one believes that story, Streamstar. ThunderClan isn't as mouse-brained as you'd like to think! But they are mouse-brains," Applefur conceded. "The consensus seems to be that Thorntail used Rosethorn to betray ThunderClan, and now that RiverClan doesn't need her anymore they sent her back. And you, being the _oh-so-kind and loving mother_," she bit off each adjective, "allowed her to come back. That tale is fox-dung, Streamstar. I know it. Tell me the truth."

Streamstar frantically tried to reinstate her position as leader. "I called you in here, Applefur. I didn't do so to be interrogated."

"Do you have something to hide?"

"You know I do."

Applefur flinched at the bluntness of Streamstar's statement.

The leader continued. "But then, doesn't everyone?"

"I don't understand what you're getting at, and I don't care. I want to know about Rosethorn." Applefur's voice was firm.

"Did you know, Applefur, that the forest wasn't always like this?"

Applefur refused to allow the conversation to shift. She was a trained warrior, but she knew her tongue could be sharper than her claws. "What happened to Rosethorn?"

Streamstar flicked her tail, an order for silence. "One time, this forest, it was noble. The Warrior Code was an unbreakable law. To protect your Clan, you upheld the code. To just do the right thing, you upheld the code. At the very least, you upheld it to avoid the stigma of being called a traitor. But how can there be stigma for breaking the Warrior Code when every cat does it? Oh, they still try to keep it a secret or pretend they are keeping it quiet, but half the cats in this forest -- they've sinned. Murdered. Taken a mate from another Clan. _Forced themselves on another cat._ But how can they be punished if all of their peers do the same thing?"

Applefur's answer to the rhetorical question was a snarl. "How will their peers ever stop if no one is ever punished?"

Streamstar went on as if Applefur hadn't spoken. "But how, how can a cat love their Clan when all of their Clanmates are so treacherous? Are you a loyal cat, Applefur?"

The question came unprovoked, with no build-up. It was posed to simply, that for a moment Applefur didn't comprehend what her leader had just asked her. "Of course I am! I am loyal to the Warrior Code, to ThunderClan, and for you to accuse --"

"No. No you're not loyal to ThunderClan, Applefur. A cat that was loyal to ThunderClan wouldn't have done what you did. You kept meeting with Rosethorn, didn't you, even after she left? But far before that, you knew -- you _condoned and protected_ -- a relationship between a medicine cat and a...a half-Clanner with not a drop of ThunderClan blood in his veins."

Applefur felt her eyes widen. Streamstar had known about what she had done? She wasn't going to bother questioning how; what was done couldn't be undone. So instead of falling backwards into defense, she flew for the jugular, "And you approved of a relationship between a medicine cat and his apprentice! How dare you accuse me of being disloyal -- "

"Do not misunderstand me. I don't think you're disloyal." Streamstar chuckled, shaking her head. "No, far from it, Applefur."

Dumbfounded, the scarlet queen closed her mouth.

Streamstar continued. "You're a loyal cat, Applefur. You're loyal to what you consider to be your Clan."

"But -- but you just said that I wasn't loyal to ThunderClan..."

"It's not your first loyalty, no," Streamstar shook her head. "You. It's you four. You, Blackshadow, Thorntail and," there was a brief pause, "Rosethorn. In a forest with virtually no loyalty left in it, you four have created your own Clan. Maybe not in title, but in spirit. You can't be blamed. You have so much nobility in you, Applefur, I suppose you grew disgusted with the way the forest was around you. You devoted yourself entirely to a 'Clan' that had no question of loyalty in it. For any of your new Clan, you'd gladly give your life. I'd be willing to bet that the four of you probably have a stronger alliance than any actual StarClan-ruled Clan in the forest."

Applefur shook her head, at a loss. "I don't understand what you're saying, Streamstar."

"Look around," Streamstar ordered. "WindClan's Timidstar openly collects tomcats at Gatherings for nightly romps with her Clan of she-cats. Duststar practically has an unholy harem at RiverClan. You know what I've done. And then there's Gingerheart and Twilightfur who've I allowed in our ranks. How can we call ourselves cats under the Warrior Code when our leaders break the code so openly? Oh, ShadowClan's Smokestar is fine now, as far as I've heard," Streamstar leaned in, her whiskers twitching as if she was about to share with Applefur a piece of juicy gossip, "but he wasn't always that way. In fact, he's the one who started this --- disease of disregarding StarClan. He fell in love with Lightsnow. Thorntail's mother. A RiverClan cat," she sneered. "Oh, I know ThunderClan wasn't involved with the affair, but it was the talk of the Clans at the time. It had been unheard of, until then, for a cat to leave her Clan. Lightsnow, Duststar's daughter, left her birth Clan and went with the deputy of ShadowClan -- for he was the deputy then, Applefur -- to be his mate. Everyone was outraged. Cats were crying for Smokestar to be demoted, for them both to be exiled. RiverClan and ShadowClan almost went to war. RiverClan claimed -- _Duststar_ claimed that ShadowClan had kidnapped Lightsnow from him. _Isn't that silly, Applefur?_" her voice rose almost to a shrill shriek, and she cocked her head to the side as if to say 'Well?'

Applefur caught the irony. "So you're basically going to repeat the past?" she asked. "I don't know what happened, but I refuse to believe that Thorntail would do anything to hurt Rosethorn. They love each other!"

Streamstar's gaze was resting on something far away. "You four, aren't loyal to your Clans...but you're not just loyal to yourselves as individuals, either. But you have a loyalty that no other cat has... I think...I think StarClan would have wanted that fostered. Maybe I'll be punished for challenging that."

"Sometimes you have to be loyal to yourself," Applefur meowed, "because your Clan isn't there for you. Rosethorn didn't turn her back on ThunderClan, it turned its back on her. Aren't cats in Clans for protection?"

"Yes, they are. But today, every cat --- most every cat --- they want the protection but don't want to give anything for it. They'll take a mate in another Clan and disregard their own, but then expect for their betrayed Clanmates to fight and die for them. Maybe..." Streamstar shrugged.

"Rosethorn had worked hard," Applefur defended her friend, recalling how she had worked tirelessly to heal her Clanmates. "She did everything right. Maybe that's why the Warrior Code is starting to falter. _It doesn't work!" _Shewas bristling, and she realized that as she spoke her tail had been lashing. And then she realized the treacherous thing she said. She had spoken like a kittypet, or a rogue, not a trained ThunderClan warrior.

But she couldn't bring herself to apologize.

Streamstar didn't seem to care, either. She just shrugged. "I don't know what I'm saying anymore. I called you in here because I thought maybe Rosethorn spoke to you. I'm...I don't know what happened anymore than you do."

Something about Streamstar's tone told Applefur that she was telling the truth. Applefur relaxed and excused herself, leaving the den.

...

The sun had fallen once, already, since Rosethorn had grabbed Ivorykit by the scruff and crossed the threshold into back ThunderClan territory. She had expected, at the time, to feel comforted. After all, her roots were firmly tethered in ThunderClan.

But when she had returned that windy day, she had felt no warmth or comfort. If anything, she had felt cold. Like her ancestors didn't want her anymore.

Or out of love, were begging her to leave.

The sun was about to make a second dip since her return -- that's what she heard Applefur tell her, anyway -- but that didn't seem real. It seemed like it had crossed into day and night hundreds of times. More than hundreds. More than a hundred thousand and a billion.

But it was. The sun was sinking, but Rosethorn kept her gaze fixed onto the sky. Already, she was starting to look for Thorntail everywhere. She had looked to the sky and saw the azure of her mate's eyes staring back at her.

_Now the sky was red. _

She had caught herself, earlier, gazing longingly at the strong gray back of one of ThunderClan's warriors, hoping that they'd turn and she'd see Thorntail's dancing blue eyes. And when Shrewtail did turn, Rosethorn quickly averted her gaze. Because it wasn't him. It would never be him.

Sighing, Rosethorn cast her thoughts back to reality. She had been sitting alone in the shade of the HighRock, lost in her own thoughts, but when she looked around now she saw that she was surrounded by her Clanmates. Streamstar was perched atop of the stone. A meeting had obviously been called.

She hadn't noticed.

Streamstar was still waiting for her Clan to be gathered, and in the pause the Clan had already started to mingle with one another. She vaguely felt a tongue lap across her ear, and she snapped her head to the side, only to see Applefur glaring razor-fangs at some of her Clanmates.

"Don't worry, Rosethorn," Applefur growled, "and don't care what they have to say." She lowered her voice, "They're all crowfood eating mouse-brains!"

Rosethorn blinked. For a heartbeat, she didn't understand what Applefur meant. Then she looked around, and saw it.

ThunderClan wasn't her Clan anymore.

The deputy, Sandpelt, had her eyes narrowed into slits as she scrutinized Rosethorn. When Applefur yowled her confrontation, Sandpelt leaned to Swiftfoot and murmured something quietly in his ear. Since what had been said was punctuated by an angry tail-lashing by the pair of them, it hadn't been complimentary.

Dusktail was simply walking to sit beside Gingerheart, but happened to pad across Rosethorn's line of sight. The usually gentle-mannered queen released a low hiss before she went on her way.

The Clan her mother led no longer welcomed her.

"How long have they felt this way?" Rosethorn asked. She was almost surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded.

Applefur just looked surprised that Rosethorn had said anything. She didn't respond. Instead, she just stared at her helplessly.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Streamstar's voice rose and on cue her Clan's attention locked onto her, "Sandpelt's kits have reached their sixth moon. As such it is time they received mentors. Icepelt," Streamstar named the chosen warrior and recited the proper words for the ritual.

Icepelt and the newly named Tiberpaw touched noses.

A few sentences later, Beakclaw and Robinpaw greeted one another as mentor-and-apprentices.

Did it really matter, Rosethorn wondered bleakly, if Streamstar said those words? Did the whole Clan have to be summoned for this? Why couldn't Streamstar just privately tell the mentors who to train, and let that be that?

The Warrior Code. That fox-dung ridden Warrior Code.

The meeting drew to a close, and the Clan scattered. Sandpelt called Applefur away to discuss something about --- who cared? --- The result was that Rosethorn was alone.

She knelt down and rested her chin on her paws. She hadn't been called upon for any Warrior Duties, yet, but at the same time she hadn't taken a nibble from the fresh-kill pile since she arrived. If she kept this up long enough ---

She wondered how long it would be until she died.

She vaguely heard a muffled conversation coming from Streamstar's den. She recognized Streamstar's voice. Streamstar's and --- Flamesoul's.

Her ears instinctively zeroed in on the conversation, and from her position just outside of the nest she could hear their voices clearly.

"Flamesoul," Streamstar was meowing, "do you really think we should go to war with RiverClan? We have the kit back, and we have Rosethorn. Should we really - "

"Of course we should!" Flamesoul snapped. "How many times should we let RiverClan attack us because you want to -- to maintain the peace? And even if we have them back, they still stole them. Rosethorn was in their camp for a moon!"

Rosethorn felt her heart pound in her chest. The entire reason she came back was to prevent a war between RiverClan and ThunderClan. _Tawnyleaf was going to make Thorntail her deputy, he had always wanted to be deputy, and he'd never get to be deputy if he caused an entire war between his Clan and another over her. This was wrong because it wasn't right, why was she doing this if there was still going to be spilled blood and..._

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Streamstar mewed gently, "You know as well as I do that Rosethorn left of her own free will. She wanted to be with Thorntail."

"Who almost killed me!" Flamesoul roared. "A RiverClan warrior almost flayed me, Streamstar. Half-Clan carrion. Rosethorn is the daughter of ThunderClan's leader. I can't stand to think of him even brushing his fur against hers."

There was a pause. Then Streamstar meowed, "It looks to me that you want the blood of a single RiverClan warrior rather than RiverClan as a whole. And for reasons that seem to be rather personal. You don't feel Thorntail is good enough for Rosethorn?" Another pause. Rosethorn could imagine her mother shaking her head helplessly, one of her mannerisms when she wanted to sweep a problem away. "Well, it isn't about your feelings, or my feelings, or even the Clan's feelings. This is not a matter between ThunderClan and RiverClan, but between Rosethorn and Thorntail. This is essentially about Rosethorn's feelings."

Rosethorn felt her eyes widen. Her whiskers twitched as she hesitantly tried to steal a look into the den.

Streamstar was sitting in her nest, her fur disheveled. Her voice was shaky and weak, but Rosethorn merely heard the strength of the words as her mother finished, "It wouldn't matter if Thorntail was pureblooded ThunderClan or kittypet. If Rosethorn is happy with him then-"

"How could she possibly be happy with him?" Flamesoul cut her off, snapping his head forward and snapping his jaws. "Rosethorn's place is with ThunderClan. She'll be happiest there. Here, with us."

Streamstar blinked, and took her time before responding. "You say this," she meowed carefully her voice dripping with adder's venom, "but do you think that we can make her happy? More precisely -- do you really think that _you_ can make her happy, Flamesoul? As happy as Thorntail has made her?"

A legion of spiders crawled down Rosethorn's spine at the implications of Streamstar's statement.

Streamstar might as well have kicked Flamesoul in the gut. He flattened his ears against his head and flinched backwards. "What-what do you mean by that?"

"I'll do whatever you and the rest of my Clan suggests," Streamstar meowed, evading the question. "But it is wrong. You know it as well as I do."

Rosethorn was practically knocked out of the way as Sandpelt scrambled into the den without announcing herself.

Streamstar didn't take her eyes off of Flamesoul. "Flamesoul and I were having a private conversation, Sandpelt."

Sandpelt was unperturbed. "It's ShadowClan and RiverClan," she gasped. "ShadowClan's deputy, Ravenfeather, a ShadowClan warrior I don't know, and Thorntail. They're in the camp."

Thorntail? Rosethorn shook her head. No, no. She must've heard wrong.

But it got Streamstar's attention. She was on her paws in a heartbeat. "Are we being attacked?"

"No, they said they had a message."

Streamstar and Flamesoul exchanged a glance, before the pair of them exited the den.

Rosethorn trailed a few tail-lengths behind, curiosity getting the better of her.

Sure enough, Ravenfeather was in the camp, sitting near the gorse tunnel. The ShadowClan warrior Whitesky was beside her. Rosethorn tried to search for Thorntail, but could only see the tip of the deputy's ear, as the visitors were surrounded by curiously-hostile ThunderClan cats. They parted as Streamstar approached and settled herself down a tail-length from the night-colored she-cat.

"Greetings, Ravenfeather," Streamstar meowed. "May I ask what brings you here?"

"I have a message from Smokestar," Ravenfeather replied, dipping her head courteously to the ThunderClan leader. "And from Duststar as well."

The crowd was still parting to give Streamstar ample room, and when it did, Rosethorn ---

_She could have flown. _

Thorntail was seated right next to Whitesky. He was standing stiffly, with his ears and fur standing on end. He seemed deaf to the furious insults the ThunderClan cats were throwing at him. If he saw Rosethorn, though, he gave no indication.

"And what might that message be?" Streamstar asked coolly.

Ravenfeather cocked her head to the side and licked her lips before beginning. She spoke with such fluidity that Rosethorn wondered if she hadn't rehearsed the speech beforehand. "Smokestar and Duststar -- Duststar in particular, are both deeply sorry about what happened on Sunningrocks yesterday. Naturally, they understand that you might be a little..." Ravenfeather's tail swirled as she idly searched for a word, "..._raw_ about the whole ordeal."

ThunderClan yowled with outrage, but Streamstar flicked her tail for silence. But it didn't grow dead quiet, and a confused murmur rumbled through the Clan. Rosethorn's mind reeled as well. What did any of this have to do with ShadowClan? And most importantly, why was Thorntail there?

"We are," Streamstar meowed.

"And that is, as I mentioned before, understandable," Ravenfeather agreed. "There was a mistake. An unfortunate one on RiverClan's part. But who hasn't made mistakes? Basically, we're here," she flicked her tail to her companions, "to try and convince you to settle this affair without a bloody war."

Flamesoul spoke up, coming to stand alongside his leader. "We could care less about RiverClan's mistakes. We are going to get bloody satisfaction for what was done to us."

Rosethorn flinched, but ThunderClan: they howled with pleasure.

Howled.

Ravenfeather blinked in surprise at a medicine cat taking a deputy's place beside his leader and then howling for blood. Rosethorn understood. Medicine cats were supposed to be above the squabbles of the Clans.

But then the deputy recovered and looked thoughtful. She waited for the commotion to die down before lowering her voice to a scarcely audible mew and saying, "I believe that it would be in ThunderClan's best interest not to go to war with RiverClan." Golden eyes shifted to rest on the WindClan warriors Skyclaw and Rabbitfur. "Or WindClan's."

Streamstar visibly stiffened. "And how does that concern ShadowClan?" she asked, still shifting her gaze confusedly from Thorntail and Ravenfeather.

The ShadowClan deputy's head lolled to the side. "As I said, I carried this message from both Smokestar and Duststar. WindClan and ThunderClan made an alliance and announced it at the previous gathering. That's a powerful alliance, and it was a very good idea on both your and Timidstar's part." She straightened herself up and narrowed her eyes. "It was such a good idea that ShadowClan decided to take it. As did RiverClan, of course," she meowed, offering a courteous glance to Thorntail before raising her voice. "RiverClan and ShadowClan are now in an alliance."

Rosethorn had expected yowls of protest. But instead, it was as if every cat in the camp had been muted. She knew she was ThunderClan, and therefore should care about Ravenfeather's announcement too and even be concerned about her Clan's safety.

She told herself that her heart was fluttering because she was seeing Thorntail again. Maybe that was true, but she felt it go faster when she heard that RiverClan had made itself a powerful alliance. RiverClan would be safe.

But when did that happen? It had to have been very recently. Last she had been in RiverClan's camp they had all been as thirsty for ShadowClan's blood as they were for water.

Ravenfeather continued, "The alliance between WindClan and ThunderClan is a very powerful one. But RiverClan and ShadowClan are much larger Clans. We didn't suffer as much devastation from The Blood those moons ago. While your alliance may have been able to stand against one of our Clans --- _may have_ --- it will not be able to stand against both.

"However, I don't believe StarClan would smile upon the four Clans of the forest tearing each other's fur out over something as negligible as a little misunderstanding between your medicine cat and this RiverClan warrior here," she nodded at Thorntail again. "So Duststar and Smokestar sent this patrol here to try and smooth your fur a little. Perhaps we could come to some sort of agreement to avoid bloodshed?"

Now ThunderClan came to life again.

"You cocky little fox-dung eating dirt!"

"Streamstar, let's just kill the three of them right now!"

Ravenfeather heard that barb and shook her head. "If you do that, I'm positive that RiverClan and ShadowClan will go for blood. StarClan said that there should be four Clans in the forest, not two. And if there's a war, there will eventually only be two Clans. RiverClan and ShadowClan. WindClan and ThunderClan will be," she leaned forward and licked her lips, "the fodder for legend."

Rosethorn's breath hitched in her throat. If this worked, than what she did wasn't for nothing. Maybe Thorntail would become deputy, and maybe no cat would have to die.

"Is that it, then?" Streamstar asked, struggling to keep her voice level as she swallowed Ravenfeather's careless and entirely plausible threats.

"I suppose so," Ravenfeather shrugged. "Whitesky? Thorntail? I suppose we should be going now," she turned as if to leave.

"Wait," Thorntail meowed, causing the deputy and her ally to stop in their tracks. "I'd like to speak to you, Streamstar."

The leader blinked, startled, as if she hadn't even noticed the RiverClan warrior in her camp in the first place. "Well -- what is it, then?"

Thorntail stepped forward, and dipped his head respectfully before he began. "Well, I guess I have to apologize to you for a lot of things. Like acting thoughtlessly so many times. Even before this uh, Sunningrocks debacle."

Streamstar didn't reply.

Thorntail waited for a moment before continuing, "And I have to thank you for a few things, too. ThunderClan in general, actually. After my brother died, you offered me sanctuary. And, well, I owe you a lot. And I guess that's a debt I'll never be able to repay due to... certain circumstances."

His eyes fell to the ground. "But I'm going to go into deeper debt to you, because I have a request.

"I know I'm not the most respected warrior in the forest. My first apprentice died, my second-" Thorntail grimaced, "…well, I haven't really left behind a good legacy. But I'm trying," Thorntail paused here, and had to take a breath before he continued, "trying to become a loyal --- loyal warrior. A warrior that my Clan can be proud of. I want you to know that, so you know she'll have a good mate...because I'm asking for Rosethorn back now.

"I promise she'll be happy."

Rosethorn didn't even know when her legs started to move. One moment she was lost in an ocean of ThunderClan cats, and then she found herself licking Thorntail's cheek.

And no, she didn't care that her entire birth Clan was watching her do it. It was the first time that she had ever shown affection to him openly in front of these cats. When she had been there she had been a medicine cat, forbidden to love him.

Cats said that it was warriors like her and Thorntail that were making the forest rot.

"Let it rot," Rosethorn muttered to herself, still covering Thorntail with licks. He wasn't responsive, and instead was staring at Streamstar, awaiting an answer.

She turned and faced her too. Her mother had her head cocked to the side, her tail swishing lazily to her side.

"This is outrageous!" Flamesoul stormed. "Streamstar, a RiverClan warrior comes into our camp with a ShadowClan escort, threatens our lives and then asks for our leader's daughter? Of course he can't take her."

"Last time I checked," Streamstar meowed, not even giving Flamesoul a cursory look, "I was the Clan leader. Thorntail," she continued, "Flamesoul is right. That is my daughter."

Rosethorn's heart stopped beating.

Streamstar stepped forward and flicked her tongue across Thorntail's ear. "Take good care of her."

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**Right! So I did it! I made a bet with the fabulous author feathercloud13 that I would update by Christmas. And, at almost 11:40 Christmas Eve I have updated. YAY!**

**Anyways, happy holidays everyone! Or, if you're reading this later and it is no long Christmas Eve 2009 --- happy today! Erm...does that make sense? Well, either way, if you review in 2009 or 2109 then you get a plushie of the character of your choice. 'Tis the season!**


	18. Chapter 16

**Sorry about the long wait, guys. But Christmas came and my sister gave me 5/6 of the Power of Three Series...and well...the rest is history. Then fanfiction dot net decided that it hated my guts and then it took me awhile to figure out how to get this up. I'm sorry, guys! I had such a good rhythm, too...**

**Enjoy,**

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It had all happened so fast.

The mixed patrol of ShadowClan and RiverClan cats had swooped into the camp, dropped a few threatening phrases, and one heartbeat later -- _everything fell into place._ ShadowClan's deputy, Ravenfeather, had suggested that Rosethorn say her good-byes and meet her mate at FourTrees at sunrise.

It had been meant as a kind gesture, Rosethorn supposed as she gulped down the vile traveling herbs, but the ShadowClan cat's kindness had been the only kindness she had tasted since. If ThunderClan had been aloof and distrusting before, they were cold and murderously hateful now. The usually docile queen Dusktail had confronted Rosethorn outside the nursery and erupted into a stream of inventive profanity regarding what Rosethorn's loyalty was worth.

She had said that Rosethorn was a dishonor to everything ThunderClan was. Beakclaw and Shrewtail had come to Dusktail's side and hissed their agreement behind bared fangs. Applefur had rushed to her friend's aide, but the lynch mob just grew with the intent to engulf them both.

These were the cats that Rosethorn had grown up with, had looked up to, and had fought beside. She could remember helping Dusktail bring her kits into the world and valiantly clawing to keep Beakclaw's life from the clutches of The Blood. She had shared Shrewtail's shock at Spottedstar's betrayal... and she had shared a piece of fresh-kill with all of them, at some point. This was her Clan, her kin. _They hated her._

But Rosethorn, she couldn't bring herself to care. Because they weren't her Clan. Not anymore.

She let her paws lead her to the gorse tunnel, alone. Applefur and Blackshadow would have loved to guide her out, she knew, but she didn't want to muddle Applefur's reputation anymore than she had so she had said her good-byes to her closest friend earlier and asked her to stay away.

Not to her surprise, Blackshadow and Applefur weren't dissuaded.

The moon was just dipping under the earth, and the soft rhythm of slumbering cats was the only sound that could be heard. But blended perfectly into the night, Blackshadow met her at the gorse tunnel, Applefur beside him, a glowing ruby.

No cat said anything. Rosethorn and Applefur entwined tails. Then she buried her muzzle in Blackshadow's chest.

What was there for her to say? Pour out a river of gratitude? These two cats had practically been the guardians of what she and Thorntail had, and they had protected her when all else had failed. Her last line of defense. Loyal to the end. Truly, they were almost the only Clan she had ever known - they had never betrayed her, and honestly, they were of a select few cats she'd be willing to die for.

A select few cats that would be willing to die for her.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"Oh, this is too sad," Applefur choked. "You're fleeing ThunderClan for the second time. I thought it was bad the first time but - "

"No," Rosethorn withdrew from Blackshadow and turned her head towards Applefur. "I fled from Flamesoul before, as an unofficial exile of ThunderClan. Now I am running towards Thorntail. I am rejecting ThunderClan. Not the other way around." Rosethorn was surprised at how sharp her words were.

Blackshadow's dark head bobbed. "Indeed," he rumbled. "May StarClan take care of you."

Rosethorn turned around to drink in one last look at ThunderClan. Her gaze padded lazily over the Warriors Den, the nursery, and the fresh-kill pile... before finally resting on the wall of brambles that was medicine cat's den. She thought she saw a ginger pelt through the shadows.

Blackshadow had mentioned StarClan. She vaguely recalled her nights as an apprentice when Flamesoul would come to her. She had cried and called out for StarClan to come and save her. Sometimes her eyes would lock with the glittering lights of the stars. Always silent. Always watching. Promising warmth, safety, but never delivering.

StarClan had never taken care of her before. What were the odds that they were about to start?

"Are you going to miss your Clan?" Applefur asked. From her tone, it was more to fill in the silence than anything.

"No," Rosethorn meowed, not taking her eyes off of the medicine cat's den. "It's not my Clan anymore."

In the shadows, Flamesoul stirred.

"Maybe it never was."

---

Thunder roared overhead. Leaves flew off tree branches, whirling and beating against Rosethorn's flank. Meanwhile, her pelt flooded with rain, her fur drinking the water like a tempting poison, weighing her down.

Rosethorn's paws hardly brushed against the wet earth. Instead she flew across the territory as neatly as a swan.

It was over, she realized, scrambling over a fallen tree trunk. She'd never freely race across this territory again.

And it was her decision.

Pausing in a small patch of sweet-smelling white flowers - daisies, maybe - Rosethorn basked in the squall. With RiverClan's signature element rolling down her back, it felt as if her new Clan was already welcoming her.

"Hello, Rosethorn." A meow, muffled through the storm but tangible nonetheless broke her daydream.

Rosethorn whipped towards the source. "Mother," she dropped the word, eyeing ThunderClan's leader with panic. Streamstar had always been flaky. While she made decisions quickly she often regretted them. Was Streamstar regretting her decision to let Rosethorn go? Was she going to try and send her back? Rosethorn thought that maybe she could flee and outrun Streamstar, but she wouldn't be surprised if the leader had brought with her a powerful patrol. A shiver crawled down her spine at the thought of running into a wall of furious fangs and claws.

_'It doesn't matter,'_ Rosethorn told herself. _'If that's what it takes for me to get back home, then that's what I'll do.'_

Streamstar recoiled as if Rosethorn had struck her. "Don't look at me like that," she begged. "I-I just wanted to say goodbye."

Rosethorn allowed the fur on her shoulders to flatten as Streamstar came towards her. With a tail-length separating them, the leader stopped and Rosethorn felt her gaze prickle her pelt.

"My, you've grown," she finally breathed. Almost flippantly she added, "I'm sure you know that it wasn't easy bringing you into this world, Rosethorn. Your father, Crimsonspirit, he had always wanted kits. He thought that just as it was his duty to feed and fight for the Clan that it was also his duty to make sure that the next generation was well populated. It was unfortunate that he fell in love with me."

Rosethorn didn't know how to respond. Very rarely did Streamstar ever mention Crimsonspirit or share with Rosethorn anything about the past. Almost everything she knew came from gossip and elders' tales.

"It was so difficult to even become a queen, and the litters I had before you... None of them survived. You were my only kit to even open her eyes." Streamstar's blue-sky irises grew cloudy. "Your birth was a miracle in itself. StarClan's gift." She lowered her head. "I should have taken better care of that gift."

Rosethorn tilted her head. "Are you ashamed of what I'm doing?" Her sentence curved, making it a challenge.

Streamstar paused. When she spoke, it wasn't a direct answer. "When I had you, I was already Clan leader. I couldn't juggle having a kit to look after and the Clan. And I was taught that the Clan must come first. Maybe- maybe because of that, from the very beginning, you didn't feel like you belonged to ThunderClan. Maybe you felt like you had to compete against ThunderClan." She was staring at something far away. "Maybe if I had been a better mother, from the very beginning to the very end, maybe... Maybe you would have been a fine ThunderClan cat."

The sky lit up. A heartbeat later, thunder cracked. In the distance, a roaring boom reverberated through the forest. Had lightning struck something?

Streamstar glanced skyward. "What you are doing... it is against the Warrior Code," she acknowledged. "There's no denying it. You were a pureblooded ThunderClan medicine cat. Thorntail is a half-Clan RiverClan warrior. But," she went on before Rosethorn could object, "look at this storm around us. It is raging, destroying. But without it then the plants would die, then the prey, then us. Look at leaf-bare. How many cats have starved, how many kits have died because of its icy clutches? But the earth needs that to rest and restore itself.

"I like to think that that's what you are, Rosethorn," Streamstar locked eyes with her daughter. "You and Thorntail. For seasons this forest has flippantly regarded the Warrior Code as a joke. Beginning with the birth of Thorntail, climaxing with Spottedstar's betrayal... Yes," she repeated. "You and Thorntail are breaking the Warrior Code. But it will be reborn anew. That's one of the reasons I wasn't overjoyed by your reappearance. Something tells me that your spitting in the face of the Warrior Code is one of the things that are going to restore its power in the forest. Something tells me...something tells me..." she trailed off.

"Mother?"

"Rosethorn," Streamstar took a step forward, continuing like she had never stopped. She rested her tail on Rosethorn's shoulders and swiped her pink tongue across her daughter's cheek. "I love you."

For a moment, the raging forest was silent. The only noise Rosethorn heard was Streamstar's voice.

"I am proud of you, Rosethorn. For enduring what you have. But..." she bowed her head. "I...I want to ask your forgiveness for making you endure it. I should never have allowed Flamesoul to return, I should believed you when you came to me before about what he was trying to do I --- it's no use talking about what I should have done." Streamstar shook some rain off of her pelt. "But I hope what I did do...I hope you can forgive me."

_She was sorry…_

Rosethorn considered. "I forgive you," she meowed, swiping her tail across Streamstar's flank.

Mother and daughter entwined around one another, seasons of hatred, betrayal and resentment now bridged.

Streamstar's eyes glittered. "But there is one more thing I forgot to tell you, Rosethorn. A condition you must fill if you want me to allow you to go to Thorntail."

Rosethorn was taken aback. "You said back at camp - "

"Stay healthy," Streamstar cut her off, flicking her daughter's nose with her tail. "And stay happy."

And shortly after Rosethorn parted from her leader. She was losing Streamstar as her Clan leader, yes, but as her paws led her closer to Thorntail, she couldn't help but think that maybe she had gained a mother.

By the time she had reached FourTrees, the traveling herbs had nearly worn off leaving her starving, the sun was rising over the horizon, and the storm had subsided. In its place was the moist morning air, fresh and healthy.

Rosethorn came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the hollow. Yes, she felt the morning's breeze, and Thorntail's warm protective scent was easily detected in FourTrees below her. But so was --- ShadowClan. Curious, she peered down.

Her senses had not deceived her. Ravenfeather was perched like a leader at a gathering on the Great Rock. A thorn of panic dug into her heart as she wondered if maybe she was walking into an ambush or that Thorntail was in danger, but her mate didn't look like he was a prisoner. All he did was seem impatient, pacing the hollow with a fury of a patrol of cats who had just scented an enemy. He was impatient, but not in danger.

His thin gray pelt was bristling and his powerful muscles were rippling beneath. Even from the distance, she could see his glowing blue eyes.

Like she had said. She was not running from ThunderClan. She was running to Thorntail.

Rosethorn launched herself down the wall. As Thorntail's scent grew stronger and as her paws led her closer she couldn't contain a yowl of greeting locked in her throat. "Thorntail! Thorntail!"

His ears perked, and the gray tomcat whipped towards her. Releasing his own yowl of delight, he clamored after her. They met just beneath the Great Rock.

Rosethorn buried his muzzle into his chest and looped his tail through hers. His warm tongue rolled across her shoulders. She had only left him to protect him, to make sure he didn't have to give up his dreams for her; to make sure cats didn't have to die for her. Now, entwined with him, his gray and her ginger pelt brushing and intermingling, she wondered how she could ever bring herself to make the sacrifice. She had been gone for hardly three dawns, but it had felt like an eternity. She had felt almost nothing but hostility since she left. It was alien and strange and -- _nice _-- for her to suddenly be swimming in a pool of affection.

As she and Thorntail greeted one another, her gaze strayed to the sky where the warriors of Silverpelt were just beginning to flee. They were watching her again, just as they had moons ago with Flamesoul. Maybe --

"How cute," Ravenfeather's sarcastic coo interrupted the joyous meeting, and reluctantly Rosethorn separated from Thorntail to stare up at her.

"Ravenfeather," she meowed carefully, "why are you here? I'm going back to RiverClan, with Thorntail."

Ravenfeather offered Rosethorn the look that a mentor usually reserved for a misbehaving apprentice before she spoke. "Insurance. I wouldn't have put it past Streamstar to send a patrol after you. She's petty enough to order Thorntail's death over something," she waved her tail towards Rosethorn and Thorntail, "like that." She was referring to their relationship.

Rosethorn's fur bristled. "Streamstar is my mother -"

"The mother of a cat in love with a half-Clan traitor. A lot to lay claim to," Ravenfeather's eyes narrowed and her head bobbed sarcastically.

Rosethorn's claws slid from their sheaths. "Thorntail is not a traitor - "

"Don't talk to Rosethorn that way," Thorntail cut her off, glaring at Ravenfeather. "She's one of the best cats in the forest."

Ravenfeather offered no argument. Instead, the ebony-furred cat simply shrugged. "You must think so for you to make the sacrifice that you have. I wonder if she's worth it?"

"She is," Thorntail snarled.

Rosethorn's eyes flicked from Ravenfeather to Thorntail and back again. What sacrifice? What was going on?

Ravenfeather dangled her forepaws off of the Great Rock. "Insurance isn't the only reason I'm here, of course. I'm also here to guarantee that ShadowClan has lived up to its end of the bargain. We vowed to get you your mate back." She nodded at Rosethorn. "I can now honestly report to Smokestar that we succeeded."

"Thank StarClan," Thorntail breathed, rubbing his forehead against Rosethorn's flank.

"Thank _ShadowClan_," Ravenfeather corrected. "Anyway, there is a third reason I am here. I'm going to escort Rosethorn to ShadowClan now."

"What?!" Rosethorn and Thorntail's shocked mewl morphed into one.

Ravenfeather explained, "Thorntail, we can't trust you. For all we know you will take Rosethorn back to your camp and we will never hear from you again. And what could we do then? You have greeted Rosethorn so you know she is safe. I will take her to ShadowClan. At the end of this you will both be ShadowClan cats, anyway. This just gives you incentive to keep your loyalties with ShadowClan and to hurry this whole affair along so you can be with your beloved," she spat the word, "again."

Thorntail's ears were flat against his head. "This wasn't in the agreement. I'm not giving Rosethorn up again!"

Ravenfeather's dangling paws revealed silvery claws. "You don't have a choice. I have a ShadowClan patrol perched just in shouting distance in my territory. She can either come willingly, as the mate of a ShadowClan warrior who has been generous enough to sacrifice his reputation and youth, or she can come as a hostage. Either way, ShadowClan wins. Let us avoid some bloodshed, Thorntail."

Rosethorn's head was spinning. Thorntail a ShadowClan warrior? Her, a hostage? What was going on? And Ravenfeather had spoke of a sacrifice...

"Thorntail," Rosethorn's voice was a mew, "what did you do?"

Thorntail looked helplessly at her and then back at Ravenfeather. "I just found her again, Ravenfeather," he pleaded. "We've been apart for what seems like so long. I can't let her go just yet."

Rosethorn had expected Thorntail's pleas to fall on deaf ears. Ravenfeather seemed so cold and calculating, like a true ShadowClan cat.

But to her surprise, Ravenfeather's amber gaze softened. "You love her," she meowed, shock ebbing at the tone. "That is sweet. Well," Ravenfeather looked thoughtful. "Smokestar is going to want to speak to you at some point in the near future, Thorntail. And he has already expressed an interest in meeting you, Rosethorn."

Rosethorn blinked. "He has?"

Ravenfeather's whiskers twitched. "I can say this in front of you two since you are now both ShadowClan," she purred confidently, "but Smokestar has only one weakness. He is a fine leader and his decisions are always what are best for the Clan. Except when that gray tomcat there is involved," she nodded at Thorntail. "He's as soft as a kittypet when it comes to Thorntail. He loves him so much it's a danger to ShadowClan's well-being." Ravenfeather's tone was jovial, but her eyes were stone cold, making it hard for Rosethorn to decipher whether or not the deputy was joking. "And Rosethorn, you're giving him a way to get Thorntail neatly into his Clan. You could say he already loves you as a daughter."

Rosethorn glanced at Thorntail. Thorntail always described Smokestar as such an icy character. That description showed a sharp contrast to what Ravenfeather had just shared with her.

"His feelings for me might put ShadowClan in jeopardy," Thorntail conceded, "But he doesn't love me. And what does that have to do with you taking Rosethorn to ShadowClan?"

"You can come with us," Ravenfeather meowed. "You don't have to say good-bye right away. Maybe the three of you can all share some fresh-kill together...?"

"This is insane," Thorntail snapped. "Well, what about what Rosethorn wants? You're forcing her into ShadowClan. What if she doesn't want to be a ShadowClan cat? Her loyalty won't lie with you - "

"It never will, Thorntail," Ravenfeather shook her head, the bluntness of the statement making Rosethorn stumble backwards. "We may hide this from the rest of ShadowClan, but Smokestar and I are both aware that we will never have Rosethorn's loyalty. Maybe she's defective and can't be loyal to a Clan. Sort of like you." Once again, it was hard to figure out whether or not the dark she-cat was joking. "But she has loyalty to you, and if you're in ShadowClan... Things will work out," she insisted. Her cold amber gaze fell onto Rosethorn. "As I said, you're coming to ShadowClan either willingly or as a prisoner."

Thorntail nearly exploded. "This isn't fair to her, Ravenfeather! She should get to choose where she lives! Why should she be apart from -- "

Rosethorn rested her tail on his shoulder, trying to calm him. "It's okay. I'll go to ShadowClan. As long as I get to be with you..."

"Right," Ravenfeather broke off the moment and leaped from the Great Rock. "You two will come with me and Rosethorn will meet Smokestar. After Smokestar has spoken with you, Thorntail, you will go back to RiverClan. It'll take more explaining on your part, to come up with a reason for such an extended absence, but I'm sure you'll think of something." Ravenfeather must have caught Rosethorn's confusion. "I'll walk on ahead," the deputy meowed. "That way you can have some privacy, Thorntail. I'll leave it to you to decide what truths and how many lies to feed your pretty little mate."

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**Thanks for reading! If you review you'll get a -pause- Second Edition Crimsonspirit plushie? Sure! YAY! **


	19. Chapter 17

**Here is the next chapter, folks. ;) Thanks for all the kind reviews! Oh, before I forget, squirrelflight lover drew a beautiful picture of Thorntail and Rosethorn! Here's the link: (without spaces, 'course) http://gingerflight. deviantart.  
com/art/Gift-Rosethorn-and-Thorntail-152280675 **

**I mean, that is REALLY good. She has a lot of other nice pieces too -cough warriors meme cough- So if there's any art fanatics reading, check her out! **

**Anyways, please **

**Enjoy,**

**

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**Thorntail had never liked anything about ShadowClan. The reputation deeded to them by their fellow inhabitants of the forest as being slimy, unpredictable, their hearts "chilled by the icy north winds" was, at best, too complimentary. He had fought against them, taken the chastity of some of their she-cats, and even lived with them at one point, and he had never seen anything such as compassion or mercy reverberate from even one of their young kits. ShadowClan prided themselves on deceit, on preying on the other Clans' trust. The only love they knew was the love of power, the only warmth they knew came from the sun.

And dotted with swamps that didn't differentiate between their own and enemies when it came to grabbing and drowning and inhabited with slimy, bitter prey such as toads and frogs, ShadowClan territory effectively mirrored its inhabitants' treacherous lifestyle. To match their hearts, the territory seemed incapable of accepting the warm sun's rays, always remaining dark and dismal. At sun-high, at best it seemed that the ShadowClan cats could hope for a bleak red sky to illuminate their paths.

Thorntail's memories of ShadowClan weren't any brighter than the territory. As an apprentice, Smokestar had practically kidnapped himself and his brother, wielding his powerful Clan like a warrior wields their claws and spitting threats to RiverClan, and made the pair of them train under ShadowClan's reign. Eventually, Thorntail returned to his own home, and Graywhisker reluctantly followed.

It was funny, actually, Thorntail reminisced as he entered the territory with Rosethorn at his side, that Graywhisker, the kind, noble, and honest brother had felt more at home in ShadowClan. Maybe Graywhisker hadn't been such a model-apprentice after all, if brushing fur against ShadowClan made him feel content. Or maybe Graywhisker had just wanted to be with Smokestar. Graywhisker had always loved Smokestar, had always wanted to be like him. Even if the leader was cold, and distant. Even if the only reason Smokestar had worked so tirelessly to get the two brothers into his Clan was to take revenge on them, to make them suffer for what their mother had done.

Of course Graywhisker hadn't known. He didn't know that Smokestar wasn't their real father. And Thorntail - he had told him. He had led him to the land where Ravenfeather was leading them now, and had revealed to him the stale scents of their mother, Lightsnow, entwined with a tomcat who was not Smokestar. Just because Thorntail, like Smokestar, had wanted to make Graywhisker suffer. _And what better way than to reveal to him that the cat he so loved and looked up to didn't love him?_

And betrayed by his brother and disowned by his father, trapped in a Clan that would never truly accept him, his mate stolen, Graywhisker took his own life the night he received his warrior name.

_Crash. _

ShadowClan was horrible. The cats were brutish, the territory was bleak, and the memories stung.

And the she-cats weren't pretty, either.

"Thorntail," Rosethorn meowed from her stride at his side, "maybe we should ask Ravenfeather if we should take a break?"

Relieved to have something to put his mind on aside from what he had done to his brother on this land, Thorntail flicked his gaze ahead. Ravenfeather was moving at a swift trot a good two dozen rabbit hops ahead, her tail swirling through the air like a victory banner as she confidently padded through her home territory. "Why?" he meowed to his mate. "Are you tired?" He looked back towards her.

Rosethorn purred, and flicked her eyes abashedly to her paws. "No," she answered, her silver whiskers twitching. "It's just that I've walked all the way from the ThunderClan camp, to FourTrees, and... Well, while I'm not tired -- I had some traveling herbs before I left -- I just thought...Well, I'm meeting Smokestar for the first time..."

Hearing the name of the Clan leader made Thorntail's spirits sink even lower. "What does that have to do with anything?" he growled.

Rosethorn blinked at his sharp tone, but thankfully didn't comment. Instead she explained. "Well, I'm sure my fur is all dusty and I might look haggard. I want to look my best for Smokestar. He's going to be my...leader, now?" Her voice tilted upwards at the end, asking Thorntail a question. His mate was still uncertain about what her life was going to entail from then on.

Thorntail didn't know if he could answer that question. So instead he answered her first one, fixing his gaze firmly ahead. "It doesn't matter," he meowed. "Why do you care so much? So he's going to be your Clan leader," he shrugged his shoulders. "You've had two before. It's not like this is anything new."

As soon as he spoke those words, he regretted them. It was like he was belittling Rosethorn's loyalty, cementing every other cats' beliefs that she was a traitor at heart. "I didn't mean that," he remedied before she could say anything.

He was still looking ahead, so he couldn't see whether or not his barb had hurt her or not. He didn't want to see, either, just in case he had.

But Rosethorn's tone was mellow and forgiving as she changed the subject. "So, tell me," she meowed carefully, "what's Smokestar like?"

That made Thorntail turn his head from Ravenfeather's behind. "What do you mean?"

"His personality. What's Smokestar like?" Rosethorn looked thoughtful. "I've heard that he's one of the noblest leaders in the forest, and one of the most respectable that ShadowClan's ever had."

Thorntail snorted at that. That compliment wasn't saying much. A rabid badger would be more respectable than any leader ShadowClan ever had. Or, if the pattern held, ever would have.

Rosethorn continued. "Duststar was a little confused a lot of the time, and silly. But he was warm, sort of. Streamstar tried her best at being a good leader, always trying to do what's best for ThunderClan... The elders tell stories about noble leaders who saved their Clans for destruction, who were filled with more wisdom than StarClan and more strength than TigerClan. So...what's Smokestar like? Is he fierce? Gentle?"

Thorntail considered the question. "He's a ShadowClan cat."

Rosethorn's whiskers twitched. "I know," she meowed. "But what's he like?"

Thorntail sighed. "He's cruel," he meowed honestly. He thought of his time in ShadowClan, and of every encounter he had ever had with ShadowClan's leader. "And cold, emotionless, like stone. But arrogant at the same time." Rosethorn's eyes were growing round with horror as he spouted his description, but he continued. "No matter what happens he never gets flustered, nervous, or upset. You could be a bear, and he could be a kit, and he would still play the calm superior. He's calculating, and chooses his words carefully, but can be blunt and murderous when it comes to pointing out another's faults." He thought about what he said, judging on whether or not he missed anything. "That's it, I guess."

Rosethorn's ears flattened against her head. "He sounds as scary as this swamp," she meowed, flicking her tail around her to the marsh underpaw.

Thorntail met her gaze evenly. "Because he is."

Rosethorn looked thoughtful. "Ravenfeather seems to really respect him," she mewed. "She spoke of him earlier like she really loved him as a mentor or a father. And at Gatherings, his Clan always seems to really respect and admire him. He has to take care of all of ShadowClan," she continued, flicking her eyes about as she drank in the dank empty territory around her, "and make sure his Clan is safe and protected. Maybe when you're a Clan leader you can't always be the nicest cat."

"Why are you speaking out for him?!" Thorntail snapped, tearing her off. "After everything he's done?!"

His voice had risen to loud that Ravenfeather's attention was stolen. The deputy tossed her head backwards. "Everything alright back there?"

Thorntail didn't respond, instead keeping his gaze firmly on the landscape before him.

Unfortunately, Rosethorn wasn't as quick to let the subject drop. When Ravenfeather also looked away, the former medicine cat spoke, her voice shaking. "I don't know what he's done, Thorntail. I don't know why we're going to ShadowClan, and I don't know why RiverClan and ShadowClan have forgotten their differences and have made peace with one another. I don't know what the sacrifice was that Ravenfeather spoke of earlier --- I don't know anything. I just trusted that you're going to do what's best for us. But if Smokestar is so heartless, why are we going to go live under his rule?"

Thorntail opened his mouth to answer, to explain, but when he looked over at her ---

StarClan, Thorntail thought, drinking her in, she was beautiful. Everything about her, the way her muscles bunched together as she jogged, the way her blue eyes glittering like the heavens above, her soft, melodious voice... Everything was perfect.

What would she think of him after he found out what he had done? Or rather, what he was going to do.

But, this was Rosethorn. She had embraced him still even after she knew what he had done to Graywhisker. She never stopped loving him, even after he had left her to the mercy of Flamesoul. She trusted him, even as he led her to the darkest part of the forest, where evil flourished and cruelty reigned. He had to trust her, too.

But he was spared from answering her question. Because the flourishing evil and reigning cruelty of ShadowClan had decided to make itself known.

The ruffling of ferns made Ravenfeather raise her tail for the troupe to stop. And through the greenery, the giant gray tomcat that was Smokestar revealed himself.

---

Rosethorn's fur prickled as she felt Smokestar's eyes rake over her. She wanted nothing more than squeal and hide behind Thorntail, like a kit would hide behind its mother. She almost felt violated. But she didn't know why, however. He was just looking, and not even in a lecherous, leering way. Maybe she would have been more comfortable if she didn't feel like he was taking note of all her imperfections, predicting her every weakness, deciphering the perfect way to get under her fur.

She took the opportunity to stare straight back at him. She had only seen the ShadowClan leader at a distance during Gatherings, and spoken to him privately once as an apprentice seasons ago. Her recollections of him were foggy, but even so, when the huge stormy-gray tomcat revealed himself, she knew instantly that it was him. ShadowClan's leader.

Every part of his being pointed to that fact. She guessed that he couldn't hide the fact that he was ShadowClan's leader even if he wished for it. His head was held high, his face tilted so that he was able to lock eyes with the cats before him, the very image of pride. His tail wasn't lying on the ground, but it wasn't swishing through the air, either. It was lying straight behind him, floating neatly off the earth, perfectly parallel to the ground. It looked like every part of his body, from the tip of his nose to the heels of his hind legs, was carefully positioned. Nothing was relaxed or placed for comfort.

Smokestar's pelt was a similar shade to Thorntail's, but its fur was longer. Also like Thorntail, Smokestar was a giant tomcat. He had scrutinizing green eyes.

Rosethorn knew that Thorntail and Smokestar really weren't father and son but they looked so similar that she wasn't surprised that most of the forest had no trouble believing it.

"Smokestar," Ravenfeather spoke, greeting her leader with a courteous dip of her head. "I didn't expect you to meet us out here. We are awfully far from camp. Are you sure it's safe, with RiverClan about?"

Smokestar's whiskers twitched. "I can take care of myself, Ravenfeather." His voice was mellow, calming. "Besides, I have Sapphirepaw with me. I doubt I would be safer with any other cat."

Rosethorn noticed the ferns rustle. Apparently the apprentice mentioned was still hiding.

Smokestar continued. "I wanted to meet Rosethorn myself, before I introduced her to the rest of the Clan. So I decided to wait for you. However," he flicked his eyes towards Thorntail, "I didn't expect to be meeting them both."

Ravenfeather shrugged, and offered no explanation for her actions. "I'll leave you be, then." Without another moment lost, the black she-cat stalked on, leaving the four cats alone.

"Well then," Smokestar meowed turning his attention back to Rosethorn, "I guess I should formally introduce myself. I'm Smokestar, Thorntail's father." He dipped his head.

Rosethorn turned red under her fur. A leader showing such respect to a cat of a lower rank was a high honor. At first, she didn't know how to respond. Then she returned the polite gesture. "I'm Rosethorn."

Smokestar nodded, and then turned his back. "I didn't decide to just hide behind these ferns to startle you two. There's a shady spot just behind here. It would be a fine place to talk. Come along," he flicked his tail as a signal to follow him as he disappeared back into the greenery.

Rosethorn followed him. Behind her, she heard Thorntail shift with hesitation before padding after her.

Sure enough, what lay behind the ferns --- was beautiful. It was like she had left ShadowClan's territory and entered what she imagined would be the hunting grounds of StarClan. The patch of land was small, but roomy enough for about half a dozen cats to shift and lie down comfortably. It was surrounded by tall stalks of ferns, offering shade from the sun and protection from the arctic winds, making the patch paradoxically warm and welcoming yet cool and relaxing at the same time. Instead of marshy wet land under paw, the scrap must have been elevated a tail-length or so, allowing for the land to be dry. And allowing for the small, yellow dandelions to grow comfortably.

A small gray she-cat, Sapphirepaw from Smokestar's earlier statement, was seated in a far corner, leaving the rest of the cats plenty of room. Her eyes were glittering like diamonds as her leader and mentor appeared before her. Sapphirepaw was a blue-gray female with ebony-black eyes. Like Smokestar, it looked like she had so calculated her movements that not even a hair on her pelt was out of place. Her tail was wrapped neatly around her paws, and she had her shoulders squared. If it weren't for her small stature, Rosethorn would have mistaken her for a mature warrior, not an apprentice.

Beside the apprentice was a pair of frogs and a thrush. Smokestar must have ordered them caught for their meeting.

As she and Thorntail settled themselves down, Smokestar introduced the gray she-cat. "This is Sapphirepaw," he meowed, flicking the apprentice's ear with his tail. "She's my apprentice. I'm sorry if you find her presence uncomfortable, but Ravenfeather and Snowheart grow so upset if I leave the camp alone. So I bring Sapphirepaw along with me. She's as skilled a fighter as any warrior, and it allows her to get in extra training."

Rosethorn looked towards Sapphirepaw. The apprentice was practically glowing under Smokestar's praise. How could a tom that made his apprentice so happy be as terrible as Thorntail made him out to be?

"That's good," Rosethorn meowed, nodding at the she-cat. "Is she going to be made a warrior soon?"

Sapphirepaw stood even straighter, but Smokestar shook his head. "No. She has a lot more training to do if she's going to be a ShadowClan warrior. She's still impetuous and easily loses her focus if she's under pressure. But," he added, maybe seeing the crestfallen look splashed across Sapphirepaw's face, "if she keeps up this pace, she'll be a fine warrior one day. She'll have legions of toms padding after her. So perhaps it was unwise of me to mentor her. Maybe a she-cat would have been better, so she could teach her to avoid their traps."

"Don't say that!" Sapphirepaw cried. "You're the greatest mentor I could've had! I'm so grateful to you."

Rosethorn felt rays of sunshine glimmer through her as she watched Smokestar and Sapphirepaw. They seemed to have such a warm relationship. She looked at Thorntail, wondering what he thought. But the gray tom was as still as stone, his eyes firmly on his paws.

"Anyways," Smokestar went on, "as you can see, there are two frogs and a thrush here. Sorry there isn't enough. I didn't expect Thorntail to be joining us."

Rosethorn was about to respond, but Sapphirepaw piped up, "It's okay. Someone can have my frog."

Rosethorn struggled to keep her face from contorting with disgust.

Even so, Smokestar noticed and nosed the thrush over towards her. "I had Sapphirepaw catch that with you in mind," he meowed. "I understand that some of ShadowClan's delicacies are an acquired taste."

Rosethorn offered him an appreciative glance, and bent down to have a bite. As she did, the familiar scent of ThunderClan swirled in her nostrils. She peered up at him. Had this prey been stolen?

"It's ShadowClan prey," Smokestar growled as if reading her mind. "We won that territory by the Thunderpath moons ago. We needed those herb patches for our medicine cat, and of course," his whiskers twitched, "a few extra thrushes never harmed a Clan."

Small talk apparently worn out, Rosethorn and Smokestar both began eating their meals in silence. Thorntail, however, merely jabbed at his frog with a forepaw, mutilating it rather than eating it.

"What's wrong, Thorntail?" Smokestar asked, peering up at his newest warrior with curiosity. "I thought you loved frog. It used to be one of your favorites when you lived here."

"No," Thorntail shook his head. "That was Graywhisker."

Graywhisker's name fell through the air like a boulder into water. The ripples ran down Rosethorn's spine.

If a similar effect happened to Smokestar, he didn't allow it to show. "Was it?" he wondered. "I must have been mistaken."

Rosethorn's eyes shifted from Thorntail to Smokestar. She could feel a venomous cloud of resentment between the two of them, and it nearly choked her. Trying to clear it, she meowed to Smokestar, "Thorntail really likes robins. That's his favorite."

"I'll catch him one," Sapphirepaw vowed, leaping to her paws. "The fattest, plumpest, juiciest robin he's ever tasted." She looked to Smokestar for permission. While he was still considering it she added, "I heard Stripedtalon and Rubypaw were going to be hunting around here. I'll meet up with them first."

Smokestar nodded his permission. Sapphirepaw let out a kitten-like squeal of delight, and turned to charge out of the ferns. But she stopped, paw still in the air, and turned inquisitively to the trio behind her. "There's something I don't get, Thorntail," she meowed hesitantly, as if she felt she was about to enter into enemy territory.

Thorntail wasn't responding, so Rosethorn took the liberty. "And what's that, Sapphirepaw?"

"Well, Smokestar had a brother too, Graythorn. He was like you, Thorntail, I hear, strong and a little reckless. But Smokestar said you had a brother too, Graywhisker."

Thorntail looked up from his frog.

Sapphirepaw continued, "I asked around and apparently he was quiet, noble, and really smart. He sounds like my mentor," she purred. "So I was just wondering: where is he? I mean, you're going to be living with us soon after you finally finish your mission. So is he going to come, too? He's Smokestar's other kit, after all."

The cloud transformed into a serpent, wrapping around Rosethorn's throat and squeezing.

Thorntail's eyes stared at something far away.

Smokestar's eyes bounced off the pair of them before he looked softly at his apprentice. "He's going to stay in RiverClan, Sapphirepaw," he informed her.

And suddenly, the serpent fell to the earth, dead. Thorntail's eyes focused, shifting to Smokestar, glittering with a murderous hatred.

"Oh," Sapphirepaw blinked. "Well, I guess he wasn't so smart after all if he'd rather stay with those pack of murderers. But you have to introduce me to him at a Gathering, alright?" she asked to not cat in particular. "I wouldn't want to send my mentor's son to StarClan by mistake!" And with that crude joke still hanging in the air, Sapphirepaw skipped out of sight.

And for a thousand moons of heartbeats, the three cats sat in silence.

Finally, Smokestar explained. "Obviously, she has never heard of Graywhisker's death. A lot of the younger cats haven't. Maybe sometime someone else will tell her the truth, but I'm not going to be the one to do it."

Rosethorn looked down at her thrush. As warm as Smokestar and Sapphirepaw had been with one another, even they didn't have an entirely clean, honest relationship.

Smokestar sighed. "She's very inquisitive. That's what makes her such a fine apprentice. But she asks me questions about the past that I sometimes grow tired of answering." He paused, his green eyes growing cloudy as he remembered. "Thorntail's mother, Lightsnow... My mother, Rowanstar, my brother, Graythorn..." Smokestar shrugged helplessly. "I grow weary of always having to tell such a warm, young cat about so much death. All my closest kin has gone to run with StarClan," he explained, fixing his eyes on Rosethorn. "Thorntail is all I have left. That's why we need to get along."

His tone didn't demand any pity. He was speaking the facts.

Rosethorn glanced at him, confused. Smokestar and Thorntail weren't kin. Thorntail's mother, Lightsnow, had taken a different mate, and birthed kits fathered by a different tomcat. She had heard the story. Lightsnow had seduced Smokestar because he was deputy of the Clan, and could use his influence to allow her entry into ShadowClan. But she truly wanted to be with a different ShadowClan warrior. She had used Smokestar and discarded him.

"So, Rosethorn," Smokestar meowed, tearing the she-cat from her daydreams, "you love Thorntail?"

She felt her heart flutter in her chest. A purr rumbled in her throat. As an answer, she looked lovingly at Thorntail.

He didn't return the look. Her mate had dropped into a hunter's crouch, his eyes narrowed into slits as he bared his pointed fangs at the ShadowClan leader.

"I'm glad," Smokestar meowed. "You must be a special cat, Rosethorn. Hardly six moons ago, Thorntail was roaring through the forest, breaking every piece of the Warrior Code he could find. He had been born half-Clan, and therefore I suppose a lot of cats initially distrusted him. He never took much of an interest in proving any cat wrong.

"If it weren't for you, I do wonder what would have happened. His mischief may have escalated into something crueler, dangerous, and more violent. I thank you for preventing that."

Rosethorn's mind reeled through her memories. Thorntail had been wild, living more like a rogue than a Clan cat. She had disliked him at first. Every time she saw him he was grooming a different she-cat, and several times when he had returned to camp he blatantly had the scent of another Clan. He had been violent, nearly uncontrollable.

But what about her? She had been frightened of him, at first. She had been frightened of every tomcat. She saw cats staring lovingly into one another's eyes, and she could picture nothing but violence being birthed as the result. She had tried to be a medicine cat, but she had felt unworthy of the position, dirty.

And Thorntail found her. He had picked her up from the ashes of Flamesoul and he had made her whole again.

"You're mistaken," Rosethorn meowed. "I didn't save him. He saved me. Because of him," she rested the tip of her tail on Thorntail's back, "there's me today."

Smokestar curled his tail. "She is a fine cat, Thorntail," he purred. "I can see why you sacrificed so much for her."

Thorntail looked away.

Rosethorn's gaze shot between the two toms. "I don't understand," she meowed. "Everyone keeps talking about a sacrifice. What sacrifice? What's going on?"

Smokestar looked softly at her. "What do you mean, what's going on? What sort of questions do you have?"

Rosethorn looked at Thorntail, waiting to see if he was going to offer to reply instead. When he didn't, she regurgitated the questions she had asked Thorntail earlier: How had RiverClan and ShadowClan made peace? And most importantly, what sacrifice?

Smokestar licked his chest. Suddenly, he seemed to transform into a different being. He contorted into a cold, calculating figure once more, the loving mentor gone before her eyes. His words were even, clearly chosen meticulously. "RiverClan and my Clan are still at war," he answered. "The message I had Thorntail, Ravenfeather, and Whitesky give to ThunderClan's leader was pure fabrication. Since ThunderClan still believes that Thorntail is RiverClan, I used him to make it seem like Duststar had sent him as a representative. Apparently, the farce worked." He took another bite of his frog.

Rosethorn just stared at him. "Why did you do that?" she finally asked. "Isn't it better for you if ThunderClan and RiverClan fight?"

"At first glance, yes," he agreed. "But if WindClan and ThunderClan believe that their alliance is futile - and it would be if Duststar and I came to an agreement - they will break it. Since ThunderClan and my Clan have been hostile with one another over boundaries, Timidstar is going to want to break their treaty so her Clan doesn't get involved in a full scale war. That's just the sort of cat she is. That union was a threat. I eradicated it."

"But they'll find out you lied," Rosethorn pointed out. "At the next Gathering."

"By the next Gathering, RiverClan will no longer be a threat at all. And WindClan and ThunderClan," he shrugged, "they never were. Even if they fix their bond after discovering what we did, without RiverClan clawing at us, ShadowClan can handle them. We have the same amount of enemies as before, yes, but now," his eyes glowed, "we can dispose of them one at a time."

As alarming as his words were, Rosethorn felt that the answer to her second question would be even worse. "And what was Thorntail's sacrifice?"

"I'm spying on RiverClan for him," Thorntail snapped, his voice rising and striking so suddenly that Rosethorn jumped. "I'm going to find the perfect time for him to attack."

A legion of spiders crawled down her spine.

"Indeed," Smokestar purred. "This also allows me to slip him and yourself into our ranks with little problem. Interestingly, Thorntail has often allied himself with whatever Clan ShadowClan has been warring with. This makes it easy for me to simply say I had him plugged as a spy all along. And finally I am calling him home. He will be viewed as a hero to ShadowClan. He sacrificed his home and heritage to make sure we were safe. Of course," his whiskers twitched, "affairs of the heart can be hard to predict. And while he was spying on us for ThunderClan, he fell in love with you, Rosethorn. For all he has given to the Clan, it's only fair that we allow his mate to be with us as well," he recited the lie slowly, meticulously. It was a lie that was to hang over their heads for the rest of their lives.

Rosethorn's heart stopped beating. Spies were something that almost every Clan leader feared. Every other gathering a leader expressed fear of a spy in their territory. But even so, no one had ever really successfully used a spy in seasons. They were more weapons used in legend than anything.

And they were legendary for a reason. With an insider's look at the intricacies of Clan life, it would be easy for a cat to find a weakness to exploit.

She had just lived in RiverClan for the past moon. She had gotten to know and had gotten to trust several of those cats. The eccentric Serpentpelt, the noble Tigerflame, the kind Puddlespots, the standoffish Wavepaw -- they had been her Clanmates. And this war between ShadowClan and RiverClan, it wasn't for territory or prey or anything like that. It was a battle for blood.

How many of her Clanmates would die?

A gurgle of horror was rising in Rosethorn's throat, but it was too frightened to reveal itself.

And it was also pushed back by a twisted sense of awe.

With one move - sending Thorntail and a small patrol of cats to ThunderClan to tell one little lie - Smokestar had broken an alliance threatening his Clan, freed Rosethorn from ThunderClan, gained a spy to bring down RiverClan, and find a way to return his son into the fold of his Clan. Everything she had heard about Smokestar was true. He was a cunning leader, almost frighteningly intelligent for him to grasp onto such an opportunity. But what he planned on doing to RiverClan -- that was undeniably cruel.

"Oh, don't think of me as some sort of tyrant," Smokestar murmured. "RiverClan has killed two of my warriors, Marshclaw and Stormpool. Cats also say they murdered Ravenfeather's apprentice, Amberpaw. And Pearlpaw was slaughtered too. We can't let that go unpunished."

Arguments rose in Rosethorn's throat, sending fiery balls of rage coursing through her. Marshclaw and Stormpool were in a patrol attacking RiverClan territory! And ShadowClan had murdered RiverClan's deputy, Listeningecho!

But... she recalled Pearlpaw's execution. The fear in the apprentice's eyes. Duststar had ordered that young apprentice, hardly weaned from her mother, to die. There had been nothing to gain from that. Duststar had simply wanted blood.

And his new deputy, Tawnyleaf. She had carried out Pearlpaw's execution. She hadn't thought twice. She just flicked her claw and swiped the life out of Pearlpaw like it was nothing. And she had almost bragged about murdering her kits.

But that didn't make what ShadowClan was going to do right. And it almost made everything that had happened to her for the past few moons...completely pointless.

"But Thorntail," she turned towards him, a thought coming to mind, "Tawnyleaf was going to name you deputy! You had always wanted to be a Clan deputy. You never thought it could come true, but it's about to. You said so yourself. Duststar isn't going to live forever!"

"Tawnyleaf trusts me," Thorntail agreed, his voice calm, unwavering. "That's what's going to make it so easy. She probably won't even think twice about my absence these past few days. I'll just tell her I was with some WindClan she-cat and she'll completely understand - approve, even. She'll probably let me help her with the patrols, sometime..." he trailed off, sheathing and unsheathing his claws.

"But why did you do this?" Rosethorn cried. "To rescue me from ThunderClan? Thorntail, I went back there so you would become RiverClan's deputy, to be able to follow your dreams! I wanted to avoid a war!"

"There was a war before..." Thorntail weakly tried to soothe her. "And I couldn't think of any other way to get you back."

"There had to be another way!"

"There wasn't," Smokestar put in, drawing both cat's gaze. The tip of his tail rhythmically weaved back and forth. "ThunderClan wanted Thorntail's blood after what he had done to their medicine cat. He couldn't have asked for sanctuary with them. RiverClan would have discarded him after they found out he assaulted another Clan's medicine cat. And you had barricaded yourself in ThunderClan. He couldn't have gotten you out, not without losing his life."

Rosethorn shook her head, helpless. "That's not -"

"He's right, Rosethorn," Thorntail broke in. His cold blue gaze burned towards the Clan leader. His words were laden with sarcasm. "Just like now. It's only because of Smokestar's noble interference that we're able to be together right now. If it weren't for him, you'd still be in ThunderClan at the mercy of Flamesoul, and I'd probably have been exiled from RiverClan for catapulting them into a war with ThunderClan. Thanks to my _loving_ father," he nodded at him, "we can sit here without a care. Thanks to him, I get to betray the cats that trusted me, and we both get to live out the rest of our lives under his rule. All I have to do is turn traitor." His eyes narrowed. "A traitor. Just like my mother and father, huh Smokestar? Do you enjoy the reversal?"

The air of battle rattled through the air. It was as if Thorntail had lunged at Smokestar, clawing for the jugular. Rosethorn's ears held the roaring of lions, and her heart pounded in her chest.

Smokestar wasn't perturbed. "There you go again," he sighed. "Why do you always have to do that? You just twist everyone's intentions until they warp into a beast." His voice rose, hardened. "Why can't you just accept that I am given a rare opportunity to do what's best for the Clan I lead and for my kin. Is that so wrong?" Smokestar licked his chest, trying to calm himself. "You are far too reckless, Thorntail. And far too disrespectful. Sometimes you have to accept that there might not be an ulterior motive to someone's actions. Sometimes it is what it is."

Thorntail flattened his ears against his head, a feral hiss slipping through his bared fangs. "Too reckless?" he echoed, lashing his tail. "Sort of like your brother, huh?"

Rosethorn stiffened. A jolt of lightning tore through her. It sizzled as Thorntail continued.

"I don't know about being wild and strong, and he might have been disrespectful. But he certainly _respected_ his brother's mate, didn't he?" He purred when Smokestar flinched. "But is this really all that surprising? I mean, _I am his son, after all."_

Rosethorn's eyes flashed between Thorntail and Smokestar. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Thorntail and Smokestar weren't strangers.

They were _blood kin! _

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**Ha ha ha! Well, there you have it. We can now honestly say we know where the heck Thorntail came from. ;) Which is good, because I kept referencing his mother but never once his father. -cough except in the prologue cough- Oh, geeze. My second coughing bout. I must be coming down with something. :-( **

**Anyways, please drop a review telling me what you liked/disliked. I'm especially curious to what you guys think of Smokestar. Who's interpretation of him is true? Is Thorntail right, and he's a conniving vengeful kitty? Or is he truly trying to do what's best? **

**So tune in next time for the answers to all the most important questions. Is Thorntail going to betray RiverClan? Is Smokestar a big fat meany? And most importantly: Will Sapphirepaw catch that robin?! **

**Drop a review, please! I like them more than I love sensuous black gloves. And that's a lot! (No bribe this time. I'm out of plush dolls. Any suggestions?) **

**Incidentally, this story is going to draw to a close soon. Oh, I mean soon. I'm getting better at updating! The last giant wait was because fanfiction dot net hated me! **

**Anyways, since I love fanfiction, I was sort of wondering what I should write next. A prequel to this story (and there are a lot of potential prequels. Silverleaf's beginning, Lightsnow's seduction of Smokestar, Flamesoul's abuse at the paws of Ambertail, the beginning of Blackshadow's irrational fear of crows, etc. If any of that is mildly interesting) or maybe a sequel? A series of one shots about the pwnsome characters in the Warriors Series? An entirely revamped story? Seriously, what would be cool? **


	20. Chapter 18

**Hey, I'm getting good at this updating thing. Yeah, it's been a week, but it's a long chapter. ;) Lots of character development for Rosethorn, and I finally get to gear up for what I foreshadowed would happen in the Prologue two years ago. **

**Anyways, please **

**Enjoy.**

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They were blood kin.

Rosethorn's mind reeled. Graythorn, Smokestar's late brother, was the father of Thorntail and Graywhisker. Smokestar wasn't merely the cat Lightsnow had betrayed, a faceless tomcat with no connection to Thorntail besides his love for Lightsnow. He was Thorntail's uncle.

The realization dawned on Rosethorn, striking her like lightning. Smokestar hadn't just been used, seduced and discarded by a she-cat he had thought he loved. His Clanmate, kin -- _his own brother_ -- had betrayed him as well. And the product of that treachery was sitting hardly a fox-length away from him.

The venom that had dripped from Thorntail's tongue and had tried to sink into Smokestar was filling the air, clogging her lungs, nearly choking her. The thorn sharp reminder of the betrayal sunk into her heart like an enemy's claw.

Rosethorn's gaze locked onto Thorntail. His ears were flat against his head; he was lowered into a hunter's crouch, his eyes blazing as if he were in the field of battle. His fangs were bared, and she could almost see adder's venom dripping from the white talons. He had meant to poison Smokestar with his statement, aiming for what he must have known to be the jugular.

Smokestar's pink tongue was lapping across his chest fur. A pair of calm green pools flickered towards her. "I apologize, Rosethorn," the ShadowClan leader sighed after rolling his tongue across his pelt several times. "But I'm sure you know Thorntail is not often tactful. He has no sense of shame in revealing such ugly business in such a blunt way. He never has."

Rosethorn's jaw dropped.

She could recall that terrifying moment moons ago, when she heard Applefur mindlessly gossiping to a few of her Clanmates, informing them of the father of her kits. She had said they belonged to Thorntail. When Rosethorn had heard that her closest friend and Thorntail, two of the first cats she had started to open up to after what Flamesoul had done, had padded and become mates behind her back, it had been as if her heart had shattered into more fragments than there were stars in Silverpelt. Even now, knowing that it had all be a fabrication out of love to protect her from hatred and stigma, she still felt battered by the wind and short of breath.

But Smokestar, after having what must have been a sore wound deliberately cut by the sharp claws of Thorntail, was able to keep his voice mellow, and calm. Not a hair on his pelt bristled. His eyes flashed no anger.

"Maybe it's a trait of ShadowClan cats," Smokestar went on thoughtfully, the tip of his tail twitching. "But I assure you, Rosethorn, if you can deal with such things you will soon be a welcome member of ShadowClan's ranks."

Her heart was torn. Thorntail had been her guardian, her protector. But she felt that the attack against Smokestar had been unwarranted, too cruel.

Was that traitorous to Thorntail? She looked away.

There was not a trace of scorn in the leader's voice as Smokestar continued. "Maybe we should go to camp soon, you and I, Rosethorn. We can integrate you into our Clan life, and you will be quite comfortable. Thorntail, you should probably return to RiverClan soon as well." He leaned towards his nephew. "We only have until the next Gathering to have the attack. You're going to have to work quickly."

Thorntail's voice, however, was _laden_ with scorn. "We are both very grateful for what you and your Clan have done for us, _Father_. But you are going to be holding Rosethorn prisoner, and you order me to go and betray my Clanmates in less than a moon. Your help has been appreciated, but that doesn't mean you can just order us around and direct our lives."

"You are mistaken, Thorntail," Smokestar rumbled. "It _does_ mean I can direct your lives. You promised me allegiance to ShadowClan." His eyes narrowed into slits. "Whether or not you consider me your father, as a ShadowClan cat you must consider me your _leader_. And as a ShadowClan cat, other ShadowClan cats are your Clanmates and you are not betraying them. You are delivering them from RiverClan."

Rosethorn's eyes flashed from her mate to her new Clan leader as they conversed, reminding her of two rabid dogs, tied back by Twoleg vines, just hardly a whisker's length from clawing one another's throats. And Rosethorn, she felt like the frightened rabbit caught between them, the prey the beasts were fighting for, their fangs aching for blood.

"Of course," Smokestar went on before Thorntail could object, "I can't control what you think. You may consider yourself a traitor to RiverClan, or a hero to ShadowClan. As long as you fulfill your end of the bargain." His mellow, laid-back drawl hardened. "However, I do confess Thorntail, that I wonder where this outburst is coming from. Have you truly any loyalty to RiverClan? Is that why you claim to have a paw in two Clans? Or, as it may be, your paws in one and your heart in another? Or is this simply your arrogance speaking, a pointless persistence of your tendency to rebel, to be uncontrolled. If this is merely pride, a pride that very well may effect Rosethorn's place in my - _our_ - Clan," his head lowered, casting a shadow over his glowing eyes, "then I can't let it go on.

"Will you stop grooming these romantic ideals and look at the cold hard facts? Will you face the reality and the future? You promised your loyalty to me, so the reality is that you must assist ShadowClan in winning this war. And if you follow through with your word, then your future is in ShadowClan. It would be more beneficial for you to embrace that rather than turn away from it."

The rabbit pressed herself against the earth, unable to escape. The vines were stretching, weakening. Soon they would snap, and the fangs would be bloodstained.

Her mate's hackles rose. "You eat and _breathe _control. Has it been a thorn in your side, Smokestar, watching me sprint through the territories, unbowing to you? Are you enjoying how you finally have me captured? It's a good thing you did manage to claw your way to Clan leader," he sneered. "All you want is for everyone to dip their heads and do whatever you say without question."

Once more, the pointed words seem to roll off of the leader's pelt like drops of rain. Smokestar was looking at the sky. "It's past sun-high," he mused. "We really should be returning to the camp."

"You're going to flee then?" Thorntail challenged. "Like a coward?"

Smokestar raised an eyebrow. "I refuse to lower myself to arguing with a petulant kit," Smokestar replied. "There is nothing more to say. The sooner you come to me with valuable information about RiverClan, the sooner you will be able to see your mate again."

"I'm already missed at RiverClan, I'm sure," Thorntail explained dropping his scathing tone. "Waiting until dark to return would make more sense."

Now both of Smokestar's eyebrows flew skyward.

"I plan on telling their deputy, Tawnyleaf, that I had been having relations with a ShadowClan warrior," Thorntail meowed carefully. "This will explain my scent and my long absence. She'll understand, especially if I make up some fake information about you as if I were spying. Besides," he added, "I would like to know the cats that now have my loyalty."

Only Thorntail, she imagined, could make a statement that had nothing verbally spoken but reverence, and carry such an underlying current of disgust.

"Duststar is wise to choose such a noble deputy, then, to be so accepting to traitorous behavior." Smokestar's tail-tip swirled. "If this is the sort of cat she is then maybe she will be impressed with how you will deceive her, rather than horrified. Even so," he went on, "I asked you to return to RiverClan. As my warrior - "

"If you tell your warriors to chase me out of camp, fine," Thorntail growled, already starting to pad in the direction of what Rosethorn assumed was the ShadowClan camp. "You'll just lose your eyes into RiverClan."

Rosethorn half-expected Smokestar to rear up in rage. But instead he watched the gray warrior disappeared through the ferns, whiskers twitching. In a mew more to himself than to anyone he said: "Just what I thought you'd do."

---

When Rosethorn had made the decision to leave ThunderClan, she had felt like she had finally grasped onto her life, had gained some control of it. She had been choosing her destiny, no longer allowing the cats around her to shape it.

And now, as she exited the small, nettle-lined forest of the territory and entered the ShadowClan camp, she felt the control slip out of her paws like a clever mouse.

Her and Thorntail's peculiar scent must have summoned the Clan. Even before Smokestar called a meeting, the ShadowClan cats slunk from their dens and stared at her through narrowed eyes.

Some of these gazes were merely curious and searching, and she felt them roam across her pelt, analyzing every hair, as if trying to figure out what sort of cat she was from her appearance. Other eyes looked torn; as if they truly wanted to trust what Smokestar had probably told them about her and Thorntail, but instinctively distrusted these cats who were not their own.

And other eyes, cold and glistening, were merely hostile.

And Rosethorn, she couldn't meet any of them.

When she had come to RiverClan, she had been welcomed with warmth and affection. RiverClan had been so prosperous the past few moons that they felt almost nothing but positive emotions, and they had a wide pool of trust to offer.

This wasn't RiverClan.

As she allowed her gaze to wander around the camp - dark, shadowed - all she could really see were enemies. Before she and Thorntail had even become friendly with one another, ShadowClan and ThunderClan had been fighting over borders, with ShadowClan even going as far as to cripple Swiftfoot, ThunderClan's deputy at the time. While Spottedstar's betrayal and the outbreak of The Blood had put a hiatus on the battle, as soon as the danger had ebbed away, ShadowClan had finished what it started, and ultimately was successful in its goal to take some of ThunderClan's territory.

After she escaped to RiverClan, ShadowClan grew hostile with her new home, as well. She had been there for the brutal fight with ShadowClan, around Listeningecho's body.

For as long as she could remember, ShadowClan cats had slunk through the darkness, striking and terrorizing her Clanmates no matter where she had made her home. And now she was to call them Clanmates?

She recognized Foxheart _a _ginger tomcat_ who had torn clumps from her fur _a friend of Blackshadow. She also saw Onyxpelt, _the tom who had led the attack on RiverClan territory; who had led the attack over Listeningecho's corpse, who had promised revenge_ a senior ShadowClan warrior. Deadgrass, a cat who had _held her down during battle, scraped his claws against her flank_ a short, tan tabby pelt, was seated beside a pretty white she-cat. Her snowy pelt was imperfect, a crisscrossing of scars and wounds. The majority were probably given to her by cats Rosethorn called friends. Almost every face carried a harsh memory, a vision of seeing their sharp claws score across her Clanmates, feeling their fangs dig into her pelt.

"Don't let them intimidate you," Thorntail meowed from beside her, pressing his side against hers. "And don't let them smell your fear." His whiskers twitched with amusement. "They feed on that they way RiverClan cats feed on fish."

The ShadowClan cats had darker countenances than any other Clan cats she had ever seen, and their muscles rippled powerfully from beneath their pelts.

_Oh Thorntail,_ she thought, _how can I not be afraid?_

Smokestar was bounding up what Rosethorn assumed to be ShadowClan's gathering place. It was a small hill jutting from the earth, centered neatly behind a cluster of brambles that broke in just one place to offer a neat path to the top. It made Smokestar look protected, separate, even as he spoke to his Clan.

If ShadowClan had a traditional rally for a Clan meeting, Smokestar did not bother with it, as ShadowClan was already gathered around him, their gazes wide and curious, thirsting for knowledge.

Rosethorn flicked her ears towards him, expecting him to introduce her to his Clan and formally welcome her.

Instead, he swept his gaze across the ShadowClan cats. His words were matter-of-fact. "With my son's help, we will have victory upon RiverClan before the next Gathering."

Instantly, joyous caterwauls echoed throughout the camp.

Smokestar waited for the noise to die down, before he continued, taking advantage of the warm cloud of excitement that had taken hold of his Clan. "But during his time in ThunderClan as he helped us win the territory by the Thunderpath," amused purrs rumbled through the camp at the thought of the new territory, "he fell in love with the she-cat Rosethorn. As a reward of his sacrificing his Clanmate's admiration and his home for the _sake_ of his home, it has been decided that Rosethorn will take up residence with ShadowClan as a warrior."

Each of Smokestar's words were placed neatly and with purpose. Rosethorn felt that he had been clever, in preying on what his Clan wanted. He had promised them victory against their enemies, and cited Thorntail as the reason. Then, he built up Thorntail even more by reminding them of their new territory in ThunderClan. After he had gotten the ShadowClan cats to mull over his nephew's accomplishments, he had announced the new Clan member: and had made her seem like a proper payment and reward for everything Thorntail had done.

"Your father is very..." Rosethorn searched for the right word as she mewed into Thorntail's ear, "smart."

Thorntail didn't take his eyes off of Smokestar on the hill. "You mean calculating, scheming, and manipulative," he corrected. "He saw a weakness in his own Clan, and he decided to exploit that to get what he wanted." He snorted. "Don't be taken in by him."

Rosethorn peered back up at the gray leader. How could she not be? Her father had died when she was young, Streamstar and Duststar had been poor leaders, and Flamesoul had betrayed her. She could hardly remember a time when she had felt such reverence for another cat, being able to look up to him and respect a cat for more reasons that just that the Warrior Code told her to. Smokestar was so smart, and his Clan seemed to really love and trust him. She knew even the other Clans had a powerful respect for the ShadowClan leader. He was strong, wise, and, even though Thorntail didn't see it, he seemed almost loving, too.

"You know," she murmured softly, making sure none of her new Clanmates would overhear, "he really is your kin. He's your uncle."

"That just makes it worse," Thorntail hissed back, swinging his head to look at her. "It makes things more complex than they have to be."

Smokestar was detailing to his Clan some battle plans, and issuing some orders about safety. Apparently one of their apprentices had been slain on their own territory and every cat was still very concerned about such a thing happening again. He spoke with such confidence, and his pelt didn't ripple beneath all of the stares.

"But he's sort of like you, in a way," she meowed to Thorntail, batting him lightly with her tail.

Thorntail flinched as though she had struck him. His blue eyes burned. "Stop it," he growled.

Rosethorn refused, but spoke carefully now. She was aware she was treading on dangerous land. "When you used to tell me about Smokestar, I thought he was cold, mean and nasty. But...I think you might have been mistaken."

"You don't know him like I do, Rosethorn. At first glance --- Never mind," Thorntail shook his head, at a loss. "There's no use arguing with a she-cat who is grasping for a father figure."

Rosethorn glanced at him, confused. But before she could speak, the mews of some concerned ShadowClan cats interrupted her.

"That plan seems all well and good," a smoky black tomcat was meowing, "but...well..." he hesitated, as if unwilling to speak out against his leader.

Smokestar caught it. "What is it, Steamclaw?" he prompted. "You've never trouble voicing your opinions before."

"I usually agree with you, Smokestar," Streamclaw explained, flicking his tail. "But I can't on this point. Rosethorn -- she's a ThunderClan cat!"

The knowledge that Rosethorn had fled to RiverClan had been limited to a select few cats. Until a few days ago, not even ThunderClan had been aware of her location. ShadowClan wouldn't know that for the past moon, she had call herself RiverClan.

A dark ginger tabby she-cat thrust herself forward, her eyes blazing. "I agree with Streamclaw," she announced. "Rosethorn has no ShadowClan blood. How can we trust her to be loyal to us?"

"It's against the Warrior Code," spat a very pale elderly she-cat. "And for good reason," she added.

Streamclaw turned towards the elder. "Why's that, Spiritheart?" he asked, his voice low, asking her a private question.

Spiritheart's answer was public, however. "Remember the last time ShadowClan adopted cats that were not of our kind?" she called out, asking every cat to search their memory. "Twilightfur, Gingerkit and _Silverpaw_?"

Rosethorn stiffened. _She means Twilightfur, Silverleaf, and Gingerheart!_ Rosethorn had nearly forgotten that they had been ShadowClan cats before they had drifted to ThunderClan.

"Goldclaw was my kit," Spiritheart went on, shaking now. "And that...that piece of fox-dung slaughtered him! He cut him down like he was nothing more than fresh-kill! He killed his own mentor!"

Rosethorn could recall Silverleaf sitting comfortably on his haunches, telling Thorntail and Rosethorn about how he had killed his mentor, with no more emphasis or emotion than if he were telling them about a fat thrush had had caught.

As far as she knew, ThunderClan and WindClan hadn't truly ever seen that part of the small tomcat. ShadowClan didn't have that luxury, and their names singed the air. Rosethorn flattened herself to the earth, and she felt Thorntail take a stand before her protectively as concerned murmurs rippled through the Clan. It stung her like a bee. Did these cats really think she could be as heartless and needlessly brutal as Silverleaf?

Smokestar kinked his tail for silence, and received it in a heartbeat. "Twilightfur, Silverpaw, and Gingerkit were loners who lived outside the Warrior Code," he explained. "Rosethorn is Clanborn."

"She broke the Warrior Code or else she wouldn't be here," the dark ginger tabby from before spoke up. "How can you trust that she won't do it again?"

"Thorntail loves her," Smokestar meowed by way of answer. "Affairs of the heart - "

Spiritheart called out, "He was supposed to be spying on ThunderClan, not bedding their she-cats! If Thorntail was truly loyal to ShadowClan, he would not have looked twice at her!"

All the noise silenced instantly. Rosethorn heard a chorus of gasps ring out from the cats behind her. She supposed not many cats were so vulgar when it came to speaking to their leader.

Smokestar replied so fast that Rosethorn couldn't help but wonder if he had predicted the old cat's words. "I once looked twice at a she-cat from another Clan," Smokestar's voice was dangerously calm. "And I was not even sleeping in her camp. Does that make me disloyal, Spiritheart?"

Spiritheart didn't answer, but the rest of ShadowClan did.

"Of course not!"

"He's made us one of the most powerful Clans in the forest!"

"_The _most powerful Clan in the forest!"

"Smokestar! Smokestar!"

"A cat often stumbles when they are young," Smokestar explained breezily. "It allows them to pick themselves up and not make the same mistake again in the future. Thorntail had a heavy responsibility placed on his shoulders at a young age. He left his Clan, knowing that his lineage allowed him to be useful to ShadowClan in ways aside from being a conventional warrior. Being apart from the land that sired him, having to masquerade as a ThunderClan cat, to claw his true Clanmates and suffer their hatred -- can we truly blame him for seeking refuge in a she-cat's heart?"

A few cats mumbled an agreement with their leader. Others clearly understood what their leader were saying, but were still uncomfortable with having a ThunderClan cat in their ranks.

"I respect your opinion, Spiritheart," Smokestar added diplomatically. "You are a fine ShadowClan cat, and your words come from a pool of wisdom. But I also must respect a debt ShadowClan has. A debt to Thorntail. We owe it to him to welcome his mate."

"And as my leader, I respect your opinion as well," Spiritheart returned, dipping her head politely. "But it is more than just ShadowClan's history of bad luck with welcoming outsiders. I worry about what StarClan will think."

The ShadowClan cats around Rosethorn almost all dropped down low to the ground and cast concerned looks to the blue sky above as if they expected StarClan to begin raining fire down on them right then and there.

Rosethorn almost snorted. StarClan could not even protect an apprentice from terror; how would they have the power to conquer such a powerful Clan?

Smokestar narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, Spiritheart?"

Spiritheart coughed before she spoke. "WindClan, ThunderClan, and RiverClan have all had their blood diluted by loners, kittypets, and cats from Clans that are not their own," she explained. "They have all fallen on hard times, or will, in the case of RiverClan." Her whiskers twitched with amusement, and some confident purrs echoed around her. "StarClan may have been smiling upon ShadowClan because of how we have kept ourselves pure. Yes, there is Thorntail among our ranks now, but he has the blood of our leader in his veins. Rosethorn does not even have that. Rosethorn may jeopardize our good standing with our ancestors. We may fall onto some hard times if we allow her to join - we may even lose to RiverClan! Rosethorn and Thorntail's love began as forbidden," Spiritheart went on, "as Rosethorn was ThunderClan's medicine cat, if my...fading memory serves. And in my experience, the beginning of forbidden love always ends in tragedy." She looked meaningfully up at Smokestar. "What if that tragedy affects ShadowClan?"

Rosethorn's blood ran cold. This was the second time she had heard a cat recite the words about the tragedy waiting at the end of the road of forbidden love.

"She has no place in ShadowClan," Spiritheart finished firmly.

The ShadowClan cats murmured to one another, torn between their leader and StarClan. Smokestar, aside from the tip of his tail, didn't move. After a pause for thought, he called out, "Shadedhope? What do you think StarClan will approve of?"

Shadedhope. The name brought warm memories flooding Rosethorn's mind. Since Flamesoul had been chased away by Streamstar, as an apprentice all the other medicine cats of the forest had trained Rosethorn, and Blueherb of RiverClan and Shadedhope of ShadowClan had taken the most care in her lessons. Blueherb had always been kind and patient, and Shadedhope had always demanded perfection the first time Rosethorn tried anything. She had given nearly impossibly challenges; and while she had loathed it back then, now Rosethorn appreciated how much Shadedhope had demanded.

Shadedhope, a gray-furred tabby, maneuvered out of the crowd and padded forward to the seat of Smokestar's perch. "I believe," she croaked, "that Rosethorn and..._Thorntail_," she emphasized the tom's name, "will be safe in ShadowClan. If any tragedy occurs, it will not be sent from our Warrior Ancestors."

For a moment, Smokestar held Shadedhope's gaze, and Rosethorn couldn't help but sense that there was more to what Shadedhope was saying than the words that came out of her mouth.

"Well then," Smokestar meowed to the rest of his Clan now, "does any other cat have an objection?"

Rosethorn saw a few cats exchange uncertain glances and throw her hostile ones, but no cat spoke up. How could they, really? Their leader had placed a debt on their shoulders that needed to be paid, and their medicine cat - their link to StarClan - had condoned it.

And then she was Rosethorn, ShadowClan warrior.

She ignored the bile that rose in her throat at the thought.

Soon, the meeting ended, and the ShadowClan cats began to disperse. She saw the ginger tabby that had been outspoken against her before collect Steamclaw and another smoky-gray female and prepare to leave for what Rosethorn guessed was a hunting patrol. The ginger tabby accidentally brushed against Rosethorn's pelt as she went to exit.

"My apologies," the cat meowed cordially before moving on.

Rosethorn nodded and watched her leave. The ginger tabby hadn't been cruel, but her coldness startled her. As she looked around, she noticed that none of the ShadowClan cats seemed to be sneering or jeering at her, but none had come to greet her, either.

It was better than it had been in ThunderClan. In ThunderClan, the open hostility and hatred was a powerful scent in the air.

But she missed RiverClan, the warm group of cats that had seemed to genuinely like her.

Now, standing beside Thorntail in the center of a busy camp, she felt alone.

"Give it time," Thorntail meowed from beside her. "They'll warm up." He didn't sound convincing.

Rosethorn noticed Smokestar having a private word with Shadedhope. As the medicine cat replied, the tip of Smokestar's tail never stopped twitching.

"Smokestar has a very noticeable mannerism," Rosethorn meowed out loud, changing the subject. "Whenever he hard thinks about something, the tip of his tail twitches."

"His brother apparently had some noticeable ones too," Thorntail offered. "My mother once told me that my father always unsheathed his claws whenever he purred. I wonder why she remembered something so trivial."

Rosethorn blinked at him. He was thinking about his mother? She supposed being back in camp would summon a whirlwind of memories.

"Well," she meowed, pressing her muzzle against his flank, "it was probably because she was in love. She was really in love with Graythorn to remember something so vividly." She stared meaningfully at him. "That love is why you and Graywhisker were born."

Thorntail flicked her ear with his tail, but said nothing. For what seemed like moons, they stood alongside one another, completely oblivious to the bustling Clan around them. The bustling Clan completely apathetic to them.

Finally, Thorntail sighed, "I'm going to have to go to RiverClan, soon. Before..." he trailed off.

But Rosethorn knew what he meant. He had too much pride to return under Smokestar's orders.

"You're really going to do it then, huh?" she asked, the words tearing from her throat before she could stop them. "You're going to betray RiverClan?"

Thorntail was staring at something over Rosethorn's shoulder. "Smokestar probably already has a cat ordered to watch you," he mumbled, his eyes narrowed. "Smokestar is not going to give you any room to sneak back. The only way we can be together again - like we were in RiverClan," he added, "is for me to..." he trailed off.

Rosethorn stiffened. "But Serpentpelt, Wavepaw, Tigerflame -- some of those cats are my friends," she meowed desperately. "And...I didn't want to cause any bloodshed."

"RiverClan and ShadowClan were warring before all of this," Thorntail pointed out. "It's not your fault. And you know," Thorntail was looking around the camp, "maybe I really am a ShadowClan cat. I should have loyalty to my living kin, right?"

Rosethorn wasn't convinced. Thorntail's hollow words were meant to signal to her that he was happy with the decision he had made. That she shouldn't feel any guilt for what she knew was going to happen.

_But she could already feel RiverClan blood on her claws._

...

It was a battle, almost, between who would miss Thorntail more, Rosethorn or ShadowClan. The ShadowClan cats seemed very dismayed that their hero was leaving them. They hadn't felt anything but disgust for him before, and because he had to endure their hatred for moons, he had practically been martyred in their eyes.

And soon, after a heartfelt good-bye, Rosethorn was left in ShadowClan's camp.

Alone.

Truly, alone. At least when she had still been in ThunderClan, the Clan's hostility towards her let her know she was there. She had been acknowledged, at least. The ShadowClan cats seemed utterly apathetic to her presence. She was being used to pay off a debt they had, and she was nothing more.

She almost wished her new Clan would feel hostility, maybe even hatred towards her. Distrust. Then she could fight and claw and hunt and maybe one day show them that she was loyal. But how could she make them _care_?

The thing was: she wasn't sure she wanted to be loyal to them. Her heart still lay in RiverClan.

Thorntail, at least, was popular with the Clan. She was awed at how easily they believed what Smokestar had obviously told them about his spying. Smokestar had to have earned such a trust, right?

Sapphirepaw, probably goaded by her mentor, at least seemed to _want_ to like Rosethorn. "Smokestar was really pleased with the robins I caught," she mewed, flicking her tail. "I can't believe I caught two! I hope Thorntail liked them," she added, her eyes troubled.

But Sapphirepaw soon left her side to be with her denmates. And who could blame her?

Rosethorn supposed she would ask to go along with a patrol in the morning, and learn ShadowClan's territory. But that night her attentions were on learning the geography of the camp. The Warrior's Den, the apprentice's den, where Smokestar slept...

The warriors of StarClan were starting to dot the sky when she worked her way to Shadedhope's den. To her surprise, as she prepared to enter the hollowed out pine tree, Smokestar popped out.

"Oh, Rosethorn," the leader greeted her awkwardly. "What brings you around here? Not sick, I hope?"

"No, of course not," Rosethorn shook her head. "I just wanted to speak to Shadedhope. She did help mentor me, and it's been awhile since I've spoken to her." Rosethorn was tempted to ask why he had been visiting Shadedhope, but she knew that leaders often spoke to their medicine cats for advice and to clear their thoughts. It wasn't for her to pry.

Smokestar understood, however. "I was merely making sure that what I am having Thorntail do is condoned in the Warrior Code," he explained.

Rosethorn's hackles rose. "The Warrior Code?"

Smokestar misinterpreted her anger. "I spoke to Shadedhope about it before I had Thorntail do anything, of course," he meowed. "RiverClan's leader, Duststar, lives outside of the Warrior Code with his numerous mates from other Clans and origins, as well as his decision to have Pearlpaw killed. Since RiverClan doesn't live inside the Warrior Code, they are not protected by it. They hardly look towards StarClan. We don't have to worry about the Warrior Code or StarClan's wrath when we deal with the likes of them."

The words rose from Rosethorn unbidden. _"RiverClan shouldn't follow the Warrior Code or look towards StarClan because the Warrior Code doesn't work and StarClan doesn't care!"_ She was shocked at the curved edge of her words.

She flattened herself to the earth, embarrassed. The other ShadowClan cats were mulling by the fresh-kill pile well out of earshot, but what would Smokestar do to her? Most Clan cats, leaders especially, held the Warrior Code at such high esteem that she wouldn't have been surprised if he clawed her ears off right then and there.

Smokestar's tail twitched. "Really?" he asked carefully. "I think the Warrior Code works fine. And I think StarClan cares very much about us. What makes you think they don't?" His words weren't harsh, or stabbing. He sounded as though he was genuinely curious, and merely wanted to know another cat's opinion.

Smokestar had laid his tail over her shoulders, and was leading her to a shadier part of camp, more isolated. Rosethorn hesitated before answering. She hadn't ever truly spoke of her opinions on StarClan to Thorntail, but she sensed that he knew. But he hardly gave the Warrior Code more than a cursory look himself, so she had never felt the need to speak to him about it, either.

But she had just met Smokestar earlier that day. Could she really speak to him about such a sensitive topic?

It had been sitting on her chest weighing her down for moons now. And Smokestar... his pelt was so warm, and she just felt so safe and protected with him. It reminded her of when she was a kit with her father. She could tell him anything, she felt.

She stared up at the warriors of Silverpelt before she answered. She had seen them every night of her life, but they had never captivated her like this before. They were shining diamonds against black velvet, lights in the darkness. They were beautiful. Sometimes they flickered, and for a moment the darkness ruled their spot, but they always sparkled and glittered again.

_ Once the darkness took me, I never shined again._

"Each one of those warriors up there," she began, flicking her tail towards the heavens "lived before. Those are our warrior ancestors."

Smokestar followed her gaze, but said nothing.

"They've felt the bitterness of betrayal and pain. A lot of them suffered," she meowed. Once again, Smokestar said nothing, and she fell silent as well, simply gazing up at her warrior ancestors.

These were the same cats that, those moons upon moons ago, had stared down at her, unblinking, as she was abused. She had cried for them, begged for them to help her, but they never did. Flamesoul had done what he wanted to her, _right before StarClan_ and they didn't do a single thing. They just watched.

And she had almost heard them laughing. Flamesoul was so valuable, so key to ThunderClan's survival. He was allowed to do whatever he wanted, as long as he healed ThunderClan.

"I've suffered too," she growled, not tearing her eyes off of the silver lights above her. "I've suffered...so much." She turned away from StarClan, and looked towards ShadowClan's leader. "Why didn't StarClan help me?"

Smokestar didn't answer. He was still looking at the sky. For a moment, Rosethorn had thought that he hadn't heard her. Finally, he meowed, "Go on. There is more." It wasn't a question. He knew.

"Those are _my_ ancestors!" Rosethorn repeated, her voice lowering into a hiss. "And they just watched me suffer! What kind of sick ancestors do we have, Smokestar? If _your _kin was suffering, kin that trusted and loved you, wouldn't you do everything in your power to save them? Wouldn't you protect them, risk anything for them?"

Smokestar stiffened, and his voice was far away when he responded. "Of course." It lowered a pitch, and he repeated. "Of course I would."

"They left me with him, Smokestar!" she hissed, well aware that he probably didn't know who 'he' was, but her words were taking a life of their own now, finally voicing what she had been thinking and what had been burning within her for moons. "They left me all alone with him! I was hardly more than a kit, Smokestar! They left me with him, and he almost destroyed the rest of my life! _He took everything from me, and when I had gotten some of it back, he returned and took it away from me again!_"

She was thinking of how she was even after Flamesoul left. She had been afraid to get close to any cat, afraid that they would just betray her too. She had been afraid to fight for anything, even for Thorntail from Shadenight, because she had seen what would happen if she fought what was so much stronger.

She had been terrified to allow Thorntail to finally claim her as his mate. She had screamed, and cried, and writhed. She had been so afraid -- of Thorntail. Flamesoul had made her afraid of the one tomcat that loved her!

When Smokestar finally spoke, his words were soft and quiet, almost as though he was speaking more to himself than anyone. "StarClan does look after everyone."

Rosethorn felt the warmth of the stars on her pelt. Her hackles rose. How dare they come to her now.

Her rage was aimed at StarClan, but she struck at Smokestar. "How can you still trust them?" she asked, her voice a soft mewl. "Look at what happened to your Clan! You say one of your apprentices was struck down senselessly in your territory! And another apprentice, Pearlpaw," she could still see the fluffy white cat, bravely facing her death in RiverClan's camp, "was slaughtered as well! StarClan watched them suffer and did nothing, just like they did me. These were your Clanmates. How can you still think StarClan protects everyone?

"StarClan is supposed to always be watching over us," Rosethorn went on. "Yet cats break the Warrior Code every day, now. They are hurting others, not for their Clans, but for their own pleasure! Cats are suffering like I did, and they still do nothing! Where are they?" she challenged. "What are they doing?!" Her body was beginning to shake and her claws had tore from their sheaths. She was not shaking out of fear or sadness, but of all consuming hatred.

She jerked her neck skyward and narrowed her eyes as a challenge to her warrior ancestors, the first time she had openly defied them. If it were possible, she would have flown into the sky and tore down each light one at a time.

"Do you not believe StarClan exists, then?" Smokestar prompted.

"Of course I do," Rosethorn responded, not taking her eyes from her ancestors. "I was a medicine cat. I spoke to them before." Before Flamesoul had taken her. "I know they're real. _I don't have faith not because StarClan doesn't exist, but because they do! _Do they make the forest any better, really?" she growled. "No!"

The abusive scenes of her apprenticehood scrolled through her mind, making her jaws part and ears roar. Her rage chilled into pain, desperation, and the feelings of helplessness rose again.

The stars were still glittering, still watching. Still silent.

"Where were you, StarClan?" she cried, almost forgetting Smokestar was there. "Why didn't you stop him? You knew what was happening! _You watched, you didn't care! _Why did you let me go on?" she flicked her gaze across the expanse of the sky, her question directed at every single warrior. "You let me go on thinking I had did something wrong! You made me think I was dirty! You let me think that it was all my fault, making me hate myself passionately, making me torture myself worse than _He_ ever did!"

Memories flew through her once more. She remembered walking to the Moonstone and pressing her nose against it, waiting for the dreams StarClan sent medicine cats. Once Flamesoul had done what he had done to her, they had never spoken to her again.

"Why didn't you come to me?" she pleaded. "At the very least, couldn't you have soothed me? Let me know it wasn't my fault? How could you let me go on for so many moons hating myself?!"

And for an eternity, she just glared at the ebony expanse, deep down hoping that they would answer.

They didn't.

She hadn't even noticed that Smokestar was comfortingly grooming her ear. She stared at him, shocked. She would have never in a thousand moons imagined that the ShadowClan leader would one day try to comfort her.

"Oh, Rosethorn," Smokestar sighed. "I can't speak for StarClan. I don't know why they never spoke to you, or why they let what happened happen." His eyes grew cloudy. "I don't know why they let a lot of things happen. But I do know that they set up the Warrior Code for our protection."

Rosethorn dug her claws into the earth. It was the Warrior Code that had told Streamstar to let Flamesoul stay in camp. It was better for the Clan! The Clan was more important than anything that happened to her!

If Smokestar noticed, he didn't comment. Instead he went on. "But it only works if every cat follows it. And what happened to you Rosethorn," his voice and eyes grew hard, "it wasn't in the Warrior Code. It was wrong. It wasn't StarClan's will. It was evil."

Rosethorn shook her head. "Streamstar said something different."

"Streamstar was wrong," Smokestar's voice was a hard meow. After a moment, he meowed, "And you're here now, aren't you?"

Rosethorn blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You're safe now," Smokestar explained. "Whatever happened to you in ThunderClan isn't going to happen again. You are now waiting for your mate to return from his mission - a mission he took just because he wanted to save you. I can't make you believe anything," Smokestar was on his paws. "Nor do I want to. You have your beliefs, and I have mine. But…just understand that love is more powerful than hate."

Rosethorn blinked, confused. "What?" She hadn't expected him to quote a saying queens often told to their kits in the nursery.

"It takes a powerful storm of hate for a cat to crumble, but it only takes a few drops of love for a cat to rise again." Smokestar rested his tail on her shoulder. "Think about what got you here."

He left her alone, then. He was padding towards some white she-cat and a young black-and-white tomcat.

Rosethorn followed his advice and thought.

What had got her here?

What was here?

ShadowClan. A Clan that did not welcome her, a Clan full of cats that would likely _never _welcome her. And Thorntail was far away, in RiverClan.

She padded back to the beginning.

How did she end up here? She had a loving mate, and in ThunderClan, in Applefur and Blackshadow, she had closer friends than she could have imagined she even deserved.

Flamesoul had done something awful to her. He never would have dared if StarClan hadn't taken her father away. But he had done it, and they let him.

_But it had ended._ One night, Streamstar had seen it herself. She had chased Flamesoul away, using her own teeth and claws. Her mother had rescued her.

And Thorntail. After Graywhisker killed himself, Thorntail had trouble staying in RiverClan. He couldn't look at himself in the river's reflection, and everything around him had reminded him of his brother. He had decided to leave.

And where did he go? Did he go to be with his father, in ShadowClan? To WindClan? To live as a loner? He had no kin in ThunderClan, nothing to tie him there, nothing to give him any reason to pledge his loyalty there.

_Yet he had come_. Of all the risks Thorntail had taken, how did it come by that he had taken one that tied them together? How did it come to be that she, an apprentice terrified of everything masculine, had been able to find comfort in a cat like Thorntail? A cat that loved her, who protected her, who was going to betray his Clan -- for her. A tomcat that didn't leave her side when he discovered that she was too terrified to ever be a true mate.

Their relationship had been so filled with turmoil. Blossoming during The Blood and Spottedstar's betrayal, haunted by shadows of Graywhisker and Flamesoul, attacked by cats like Silverleaf -- it had been guarded, the whole time. Blackshadow and Applefur had stood steadfast with them, never leaving their side. The two warriors had protected Thorntail and Rosethorn like they would they Clan.

_Blackshadow, Applefur, do you promise to uphold and protect Rosethorn and Thorntail's love even at the costs of your own lives?_

If a cat had asked them that question, just as an apprentice was asked if he was willing to protect the Warrior Code and his Clan, she knew what the answer would be.

_We do._

Too many cats had come into Rosethorn's life at just the right moment. So many things had turned out okay for them to be a mere coincidence.

She recalled what Smokestar had said.

The drops of love, more powerful than hate, had kept her going. The drops of love were the reason she was safe, now. ShadowClan _was_ cold. _But when I curl up in my nest tonight, no tom will come to me. No tom will try to hurt me like Flamesoul did._

The drops of love were the reason she was able to hold her head up high now. If Thorntail had never come to ThunderClan, what would have happened to her_? I would be in ThunderClan now, Flamesoul's apprentice._ She would still be suffering, still be writhing, still helpless. Thorntail was the cat that had given her the strength to fight Flamesoul back when he returned. If she had never met Thorntail -- she would have been just as helpless as when she was Rosepaw.

If Thorntail had never come to ThunderClan, what would have happened to him? He had been going mad with guilt, she heard, over his brother's death. He had blamed himself, and, thinking he had already done something as terrible as possible, he had no longer cared. How long would it have been before Thorntail followed Graywhisker, and took his own life? And if he didn't, how long would it have been before he pushed an enemy warrior too far and they killed him? He had softened for her.

Had StarClan seen this? Had StarClan seen two cats, one in ThunderClan, one in RiverClan, about to drown in the depths of their despair? _Had they sent them to one another? _

The warriors of Silverpelt were still glittering above her.

They had never left her. Even when she had refused to believe that they cared for her, that they had any power of her, they came out every night and watched her. All those moons when she had thought StarClan had taken care of every cat but her, they had been carrying her, helping her, guarding her, watching her. They had merely been waiting for her to raise her eyes and stare back at them.

And she was certain, then.

She was certain for the first time since she had spoken to StarClan at the Moonstone before Flamesoul, that StarClan loved her. That no matter what, they would always take care of her. She hadn't needed to love them back, or believe in their power. They had taken care of her nonetheless.

That was why warriors vowed to give their lives for the Warrior Code, for StarClan. It was worth it.

She was still shuddering. But now, she was shuddering with joy, and a purr was rising in her throat.

Smokestar was on the meeting hill, and his yowl echoed across the camp, summoning his Clan around him. She padded forward, and found a seat beside Sapphirepaw.

She stared around at the Gathering ShadowClan cats. These cats, they didn't consider her part of their Clan.

But she didn't care. For the first time since she was an apprentice, she knew what it was like to believe, to feel and bask in StarClan's love. There wasn't a Clan around her, but there was one watching over her from above.

Smokestar was naming a new warrior. It was a black-and-white tomcat.

Smokestar was reciting one of the sacred rituals. "Patchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

The young tomcat's eyes were glowing. He knew what he was about to do, Rosethorn realized. He could feel StarClan above him just as easily as she could. And because of that, there was no a tremor of uncertainty in his voice was he vowed: "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Patchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Patchfoot. StarClan honors your patience and strength, and we welcome you as a full member of ShadowClan."

Smokestar rested his chin atop the newly named Patchfoot's forehead, and the warrior licked his shoulder. Then he whirled to meet his Clan.

The whole of ShadowClan welcomed their new warrior with great enthusiasm. "Patchfoot! Patchfoot!"

Rosethorn cheered too. It was a new beginning, and she was proclaiming it to the heavens even as she welcomed Patchfoot into his new rank. Her voice was passionate, and strong as she cheered: "Patchfoot! Patchfoot!"

After the ceremony, Smokestar had bounded down the small hill and had approached Rosethorn. "Is something wrong?" he asked, probably detecting something different about her.

"No, Smokestar," she meowed. "Something is very right."

Smokestar's whiskers twitched. "I don't know if I've ever heard a cat welcome a warrior with such enthusiasm."

"Well," Rosethorn shrugged helplessly, "this is the first time in a long time I've actually believed in what a warrior stands for."

She licked Smokestar's shoulder just as Patchfoot did moments earlier.

And she didn't know why, but she suddenly felt open. She stared at the ShadowClan cats in a new light. Maybe she could eventually find a home in ShadowClan. They would all one day be a part of StarClan, wouldn't they?

She felt like a great boulder had been lifted off of a path. She didn't know what path, or if she was going to go down it. But she felt like now that the boulder was gone, loved ones could finally cross over and see her.

And watching from StarClan, Graywhisker saw that the boulder was gone too.


	21. Chapter 19

The sun was sinking below the horizon, and a soft breeze ruffled Thorntail's pelt he climbed the hollow of FourTrees. He charged through the scent markers - placed by Beetleflight, Darkstorm, and Emberpaw, he noticed - and set his paws in RiverClan territory.

His paws tingled with relish as they felt RiverClan land beneath their pads. The cool dew of early morning brushed against his ankles, and his whiskers twitched as the wind tickled them. The scents of musty fish and curling reeds whirled through his nostrils and sent warm memories flooding through his mind. The river roared somewhere far away, offering encouragements, welcoming him home.

_Home._

Thorntail, weak from the long trek from the ShadowClan camp, scarred from his verbal duel with Smokestar, wanting for Rosethorn, found strength in the familiar landscape. His muscles recharged, and his spirits flew higher as he drew himself deeper into the land.

And as Thorntail predicted, RiverClan's deputy and his friend, Tawnyleaf, accepted his excuse without question.

The deputy and Cinnamonfur had been hunting alongside the riverbank when Thorntail had found her. He knew Tawnyleaf would be more accepting to his excuse, and easier to deal with than if he simply padded into the RiverClan camp after his absence. He even suspected she might be willing to help him explain his disappearance.

She trusted him, after all.

Tawnyleaf had been curious to where he had been, but not suspicious. "A ShadowClan she-cat, eh?" she mused, flicking a golden paw into the river and tossing a fish through the air and onto the bank. "Thorntail, I can't imagine why you would choose one of those hideous creatures over that pretty little thing you got from ThunderClan."

Cinnamonfur let out a pitiful mewl from his position at Tawnyleaf's flank. "You have Rosethorn, and you took a ShadowClan mate, too? Oh..." he bristled, but not with rage over Thorntail's blatant disregard for the Warrior Code. "That's so unfair! I don't even have a mate in RiverClan."

"Well, Rosethorn got homesick and returned home," Thorntail lied. "I can't go padding after her, can I?"

Tawnyleaf sighed. "Thorntail, that was bad judgment. We are at war with ShadowClan now. You can't stroll into camp having their scent all over your fur. Make sure you take a bath in the river, first. Oh, look at that one!" She clawed another fish.

Thorntail's whiskers twitched. Tawnyleaf had never cared two mouse-tails for the Warrior Code, and Cinnamonfur was too mouse-brained to even comprehend what the code meant, let alone follow it.

"You won't tell anyone?" he pressed.

"No," Tawnyleaf shook her head. "They noticed you left, but I simply assured them that I'd be been seeing you around and have been sending you on hunting patrols. You were only gone a day - almost two," she glanced at the setting sun. "Just don't go see this she-cat again, okay? At least not until this stupid war goes away."

And then, exonerated from all persecution and suspicion, Thorntail settled down beside the lion-furred warrior and hunted some fish for the Clan he was going to help slaughter.

Cinnamonfur and Tawnyleaf asked no more questions. Even when he confessed that he had padded after an enemy warrior, they had still trusted him to keep his loyalties in check. They thought he would never choose a she-cat, something he had used and discarded countless of times, over his Clan. They expected him to be loyal to RiverClan, to fight tooth and claw for the land, to want nothing more than to see RiverClan prosperous.

And he was going to betray them.

Cinnamonfur was talking excitedly about how the warrior Silentsong had shared a word with him the other day, while Tawnyleaf fretted about Melodypaw, her apprentice, who was having a great amount of difficulty learning how to wriggle out of an enemy warrior's grasp.

After he betrayed them, would they ever speak to him like this again? Would they forgive him? He, the cat who had promised ShadowClan's leader that he would find the perfect time for an attack. He'd send to his friends ShadowClan warriors with silver claws and bared fangs, all thirsting for blood. RiverClan blood.

But the irony was, he _wanted_ to be loyal to RiverClan, to fight tooth and claw for their land, and he did want to see RiverClan prosperous.

He just wanted Rosethorn to be safe, more.

His paws slipped and he stumbled forward, just barely catching himself before he fell into the river.

"Oh, mouse-dung," Tawnyleaf bristled. "Your reflection fell into the water."

"Now all the fish will be frightened away," Cinnamonfur fretted. "And I was going to catch something really special for Silentsong, too." He paused. "Maybe there's some more upstream!" He started to bound away.

"Wait up," Tawnyleaf called after him, charging forward. Over her shoulder she cried, "Take the prey I left there to camp when you're done, will you?" She didn't wait for an answer, and soon her footsteps disappeared.

Thorntail hardly noticed.

The river was clean, and it flowed smoothly, like a she-cat's pelt being licked the right way.

Inside its watery depths, Thorntail saw the cat that had scared the fish away. The cat had pale gray fur, broad, powerful shoulders, and frightened blue eyes.

The cat looked just like his brother, Graywhisker.

He was going to betray RiverClan. He loved RiverClan, felt at home among the watery pelts of RiverClan, and had sworn to protect and die for RiverClan before StarClan. Even so, he was going to give them to Smokestar.

He _had_ betrayed Graywhisker. He _had_ loved Graywhisker, he had been his closest friend, and he _had _sworn to his dying mother to protect Graywhisker. But even so, he had betrayed him. He had killed him just as assuredly as the monster did.

"Have I learned nothing?" he asked himself, the words tumbling out of his throat as a pitiful mewl.

Before him, the gray cat beneath the waves asked him the same question: _Have you learned nothing?_

He had lived with the guilt of Graywhisker's death his whole life. Hearing the name still sent shivers down his spine, still made his breathe hitch in his throat. And now, with the whole of RiverClan, he was going to make the same decision again? He was going to, indirectly, push them into a monster?

"Yes," Thorntail told himself. _Because that cat in the water, that's just your reflection, Thorntail. It isn't Graywhisker, even if he has his soft blue eyes and his stone-gray pelt. It's just your reflection._ "I've done this before. I've lived through it. I've done murder," he nodded. "Spying is easier than murder, I'm sure. I can do it."

The river was still roaring before him. But instead of warm, comforting rumbles it seemed as though it was speaking to him.

All the river, the soul and lifeblood of RiverClan had to say was one word:

_Traitor. _

"No," he cried, stumbling backwards. "No, I'm not. Rosethorn doesn't have a Clan that can protect her," he explained. "She needs me to do it. Her Clan couldn't, and I have to now. She saved me from myself. Now I have to make sure I save her!"

_Traitor, traitor._

The words bombarded his ears, slithering through the air liked winged snakes. His pelt bristled, and indignant fury exploded inside of him.

"And so what if I am?!"

He had launched himself forward again, and had jerked his neck forward so he could howl it straight at the river, straight at Graywhisker.

His jaw was parted in a yowl, but the words garbled in his throat.

He had expected to see his brother, like he always did when he stared into the water. He never saw his reflection; he had always merely saw Graywhisker.

What he had never seen was his mother.

But sure enough, there she was, just as he remembered her. She was beautiful, with a soft, blue-gray tabby pelt, and warm, kind eyes. She looked lithe, and graceful. He could almost hear her purring.

Thorntail blinked. But to his surprise, he wasn't frightened or shocked by the image of his mother being reflected at him from the pool. Seeing her was calming, like he was a kit again, pushing against her, and drinking her milk.

He had thought a lot of terrible things about her before. She had betrayed a cat that loved her and manipulated her way into a Clan on the basis of a lie. And because of what she had done, he and Graywhisker had to live under the shadow of Smokestar's hatred their whole lives.

"But," he looked softly at her, thinking about what Rosethorn had said to him earlier, "you really loved Graythorn, didn't you?"

By way of answer, Lightsnow extended her own neck. Her face flowed from the water, and he felt her tongue roll against his cheek.

He felt her tail brush against his shoulder.

He felt her claws dug into his chest.

And he felt his lungs expanding with water.

Suddenly, their positions had switched. Now Lightsnow was standing safely on the bank, her claws firmly on Thorntail's chest, her tail on his shoulder, pushing all her weight on Thorntail. He was under the water, the stream flowing around him, sinking into his nose, his mouth. He couldn't breath, the water was so heavy, he was about to collapse, he heard a kit screaming for help beside him ---

Thorntail used all his strength to push himself up, to free himself from Lightsnow's grasp, to find air, to breathe, to survive...

He blinked.

He had fallen backwards, flat on his tail. He was a fox-length away from the riverside. He was surrounded by reeds.

His eyes flashed about. His mother was nowhere to be seen. Not a trace of her scent rolled through the air.

His heart was throbbing. He gasped for breath, and then bent to lick his chest and help himself breathe like he often saw medicine cats do to almost-drowned cats, ignoring the fact that there was not a drop of water on his pelt.

Thorntail hesitated, but finally padded forward to the water, once again. All he saw was his own reflection.

What had just happened? He felt energy coursing through his veins, and his claws had instinctively unsheathed as if he had been attacked. But his mother had been dead for seasons, and he hadn't even been in the river, let alone had the opportunity to nearly drown in it.

This didn't happen often, he had to remind himself. Cats rarely, if ever, saw their dead mother in place of their reflection. And if they did, their dead mother wouldn't try to drown them.

But if this didn't happen often, why did it all seem so familiar? He hadn't felt any surprise when he felt Lightsnow's paws holding him under, and none of it had seemed truly shocking.

It had seemed cloudy, foggy, like something that happened long-past.

...

"And that's the Gnarled Tree," Sapphirepaw announced, jerking her tail to a withered, battered pine. "Mentors often bring their apprentices here to practice battle moves in the shade, and to teach them to climb. I'm one of the fastest climbers of all the apprentices," she added with pride.

"That's very good," Rosethorn purred.

Sapphirepaw had excitedly volunteered to escort Rosethorn around the ShadowClan territories. The apprentice was very knowledgeable about the land; Rosethorn was shocked at how much history every tail-length of territory had.

"It was under the Gnarled Tree that the Great Volestar was born," Sapphirepaw told her. "Volestar's mother had to flee the camp during a WindClan raid, and was forced to give birth far away from home. It was a difficult birth, and the medicine cat wasn't there to help her, so unfortunately she died. Volestar was the only kit in his litter to survive. And he never forgave WindClan for the pain they had put his mother through, and when he became ShadowClan leader, he tricked them into attacking the camp again. But," she added, her eyes widened with emphasis, "this time ShadowClan was ready for them. He..."

Rosethorn only half-listened to Sapphirepaw's detailed story of a ShadowClan leader long-past. Her mind was reeling with other things. She had seen what Duststar and RiverClan do to spies when they had caught poor Pearlpaw, who had accidentally crossed their border. What would happen to Thorntail if they found out? And he was returning to RiverClan after being absent for a whole sunrise, what if they were suspicious? Sure, RiverClan had been lenient and had almost turned away from the Warrior Code when she had first joined, but once they had trouble, they had scrambled for StarClan's protection.

_Oh, StarClan,_ she prayed to her newly found Warrior Ancestors, _Please keep-_

She couldn't finish the prayer.

Sapphirepaw was still telling her long-winded tale of Volestar's vengeance, but Rosethorn wasn't interested in that. Her eyes rounded with shock as she saw a familiar, sleek gray figure stalk behind Sapphirepaw's form.

He disappeared into the shadows as quickly as he appeared, but Rosethorn was certain. She knew that gray pelt, those broad shoulders.

"I _know!_" Sapphirepaw had misinterpreted Rosethorn's sudden interest. "But don't worry. See, Volestar fought like a TigerClan cat, and Honeystar just couldn't withstand such an onslaught! But Honeystar had no honor, so it came to be that here, right under the Gnarled Tree where Volestar was born, she - "

"Sapphirepaw," Rosethorn broke the young apprentice off. She flicked her tail in the direction where the gray cat had vanished. "Are there any warriors in this Clan that look like Thorntail?"

Sapphirepaw blinked. "Smokestar does, a little."

Rosethorn shook her head. The cat she had just seen had youth, vigor. Smokestar was still very sprightly, but he wasn't a young warrior. "No, not him."

"Well, um... There's Cricketjump, I guess. He looks a little like Thorntail. But he's a lot smaller - smaller than me, even." She purred lightly. "We like to joke that he's not any bigger than a cricket, himself. But don't do that," she added, her light tone growing dark. "He gets mad..."

But Rosethorn wasn't paying attention, not any more. The cat she had seen wasn't small. He had looked exactly like Thorntail. Had her mate returned to ShadowClan territory already? Did he have important information to give to Smokestar? Why didn't he say hello to her?

Finally, the idea was dismissed. She couldn't pick up any scent of Thorntail. She must have been seeing things.

She listened politely to the rest of Sapphirepaw's story.

---

Thorntail was on his haunches, his gaze firmly meeting that of his reflection's in the river. His mind was whirling with questions.

"Why..." the memory of his lungs filling up with water, gasping for air that wasn't there flashed through is head, "did I think that my mother would try to kill me?"

He could almost feel her claws on his pelt, holding him under.

"She was supposed to love me. Why would she try to drown me?"

He could still hear her voice speaking from his memories. She had promised to protect him and Graywhisker with all of her might, and had warned them of Smokestar. She had whispered words of love, of affection. He couldn't recall many solid memories of her, but he could remember feelings. He had felt warm, loved, _safe. _

Memories...

When he listened to other cats talk about their days in the nursery, they seemed to have really vivid memories of things their mother had said to them, nursery tales and the like. Lightsnow had gotten sick shortly after she had her kits, and hadn't been allowed to be with them for a lot of the time, but even so -- shouldn't he have been able to remember more than just feelings? Shouldn't he have been able to remember more than just a few scattered phrases, a few broken images?

He sat on his haunches. The river flowed before him, offering him no more answers than the darkening sky above him.

He had never given his mother much thought before. But reentering the ShadowClan camp, reentering where he had spent his kittenhood had torn open the floodgates of his memory. But to his surprise, instead of a powerful ocean of recollections careening towards him, a few raindrops were soaking his pelt. Why wasn't there more?

"Oh, fox-dung!" he had taken a step forward, and the moment his forepaw touched the ground a sharp pain sheered up his leg.

He lifted his foot, and gazed the source of the pain through narrowed eyes. A sharp thorn had buried itself in his pad.

"Oh, fox-dung," he swore again, covering the wound with frantic licks. "What is this, StarClan?" he asked to _Graywhisker_ no cat in particular. "You trying to punish me for treason by digging small thorns into my pads? Argh," he growled, swiping his tongue across his mouth as he finished. "If so, good job. Geeze, that hurts. Ouch..."

His eyes rounded as one of his few, precious memories of his mother scrolled through his mind.

_The ShadowClan nursery was boring. _

_ The whole floor was blanketed with soft moss and dotted with feathers, and there was always someone watching him. It was all safe, all secure, and all boring. Especially since Graykit was napping and all the other kits were playing outside. There was nobody to play with. _

_ The mean warrior Whitesky said that he wasn't allowed to leave the nursery on account of how he had slipped out of camp the other day and had tried to ruin Ravenpaw's assessment. He didn't care what Whitesky said, she was stupid and didn't think he had to listen to her. But he really couldn't leave, because his mean mommy wouldn't let him. _

_ "Ouch!" _

_He jerked his head towards his mother in alarm. He hadn't meant it! She wasn't really mean! Had he hurt her feelings? When you hurt a cat's feelings, did they really get hurt? _

_ "I'm sorry mommy!" he cried, scampering over to her. _

_ But Lightsnow wasn't looking at him. She had lifted a forepaw, and was examining her pad. _

_ He stumbled to a halt. "What's wrong?" he asked. _

_ Lightsnow was staring at him now. She showed him her paw. "I stepped on a thorn," she meowed, using her tail to point out the barb jutting from her pad. "I bet you Swamp-paw wasn't careful enough when he cleaned out the bedding." _

_ He stared at the thorn with wide eyes. It was hooked into his mother's pad like a claw, and red, gushy stuff was coming out around it. "Does it hurt?" he asked. He was named after thorns, so he thought it was pretty important that thorns be able to hurt cats, other wise he wouldn't ever be a good warrior. But he wasn't sure if he liked being named after something that hurt his mommy. _

_ He felt his mother's tail flick his ear. "I'll show you," she meowed chipperly. _

_ A mewl of shock escaped his throat. Lightsnow had flipped him on his back, and had dug one of her claws into his pad. A sharp, shearing pain tremored throughout his body. He mewled._

_ "Shh," Lightsnow cooed, placing him back down. "You don't want to wake Graykit. But don't you see, Thornkit? You and Mommy are feeling the same pain now." She licked his forehead. "You're feeling just what I'm feeling, and I'm feeling what you're feeling. _

_ "We're linked like that, Thornkit. You and Graykit are all I have left now. If you die, Mommy's going to die too." _

---

Rosethorn was dreaming.

She didn't know how she knew, but she just _knew_. Maybe it was because the waking world wasn't like this. The stars above didn't swirl, and the grass didn't glow. The prey didn't sparkle and the water didn't sing. The trees didn't scrape the sky and the air wasn't as clean.

But here, it was.

There was not a scent of want, not a cry for help. There was not a tremor of sadness or worry in the air. There was no suffering, no pain. Only in memories, only in the hearts of the cats that roamed these sacred hunting grounds.

The sacred hunting grounds of StarClan.

Rosethorn didn't know how she knew she was with StarClan just as she didn't know how she knew she was dreaming. But she did. She knew it as assuredly as she did that her name was Rosethorn.

And she knew the dark ginger tomcat that approached her. His crimson pelt that reflected her own, his kind amber eyes that showed nothing but love.

"Father!" she cried. She flew towards him, her paws hardly scraping the earth as she buried her muzzle in his chest and breathed in his secure, protective scent.

Crimsonspirit nosed her shoulder, groomed her neck. "Oh, Rosethorn," he mewed, the first time she had ever heard him call her by her full name. "Rosethorn, Rosethorn, my beautiful daughter Rosethorn."

And for a moment, it was as if he had never left. The strength of their bond was just as powerful as when he first left to be with StarClan, and she could scarcely remember not be able to share tongues with her father.

She felt the other cats she had lost around her, too. Their presence was strong, their welcome stronger. Ebonypool, her close friend and apprentice. Turtlefeather and Raykit, Ebonypool's mother and littermate who Rosethorn had failed to rescue from The Blood, were there too. Scornpaw, Thorntail's trusting pupil, Listeningecho and Robinwing, the pair of deputies who had met tragic ends -- she even noticed Scarletkit and Lilykit, her sisters who had just lived to receive their names.

She hadn't felt so protected, so loved, so safe and valued since she was a kit. Everyone she had ever cared for, unbothered by Clan boundaries had come to her, to welcome her home.

She thought of Thorntail. She felt a twinge of panic.

"I haven't died, have I?"

Crimsonspirit had stepped backwards, the expanse of all her friends and kin behind him. "No daughter, merely dreaming."

Rosethorn's gaze took in them all. "You were here the whole time," she breathed, having to state the knowledge she now had.

As if in response, as if to provide proof, she saw the flickering images of memory before her. She saw herself mourning the death of her father; saw herself receiving her apprentice name, hunting a vole, learning how to mix herbs. The whole time, beside the form of her younger self, there had been another. A StarClan warrior was always guarding her, always guiding her paw steps.

But then the happy memories faded. Where she had seen a proud Rosepaw, she now saw a broken one. Rosepaw, broken and battered, curled on her disheveled mossy nest, alone and frightened. Blood was streaming around her, but there was no ghostly warrior. No StarClan warrior was with her when she needed him most.

The rage coursed through her again, stronger than it had been even before Smokestar had spoken to her. StarClan had coaxed her back into their bosom simply to throw her out again!

"I was right!" she cried, now more hurt than angry as she turned her gaze back to her father. "You left me," she was shaking now, unable to control her claws from slipping from their sheaths. "You weren't with me! You abandoned me! You left me alone!"

Seasons of pain and regret flooded Crimsonspirit's eyes. "We couldn't."

"Why not?" Rosethorn mewled, now more confused than furious. "I was just an apprentice! I was alone and betrayed. I needed StarClan more than ever!"

"We couldn't afford anyone, Rosethorn."

Crimsonspirit couldn't have hurt her more if he had struck her. "...Couldn't...afford?"

Her father's eyes softened. "Oh, Rosethorn. We couldn't be by your side. For we had to run ahead and fight off the demons that plagued you."

Like a tom defending his mate, like a queen defending her kits. If the enemy was deep in the forest, the queen had to go and face the enemy, far away, her kits staying behind for safety. From the very beginning, StarClan had been charging ahead, clawing her demons, searching for an escape.

For her.

Her gaze flickered around to the cats around her. They all looked so powerful, with the elements of fire and ice flashing in their pelts. Each looked like they could run from ThunderClan's camp to HighStones and back with no difficulty. They were strong, perfect, and she knew that they had no worries or troubles here in Silverpelt.

But even so they had run ahead. They had fought for her.

She had thought they had rejected her, she had thought they had found her impure and ruined. She had rejected them.

She could have met with them at any time, had she truly wanted to. She remembered all the times she had wanted to confront StarClan, to challenge them about Flamesoul, about --

A memory flashed in her mind. She had been waiting for Thorntail to come back from a private meeting with Shadenight. Blackshadow and she were discussing Graywhisker's death. In order to find out the truth, of why he had taken his life, Blackshadow had suggested that she speak to StarClan and ask Graywhisker himself. She hadn't been able to, then. She had told Blackshadow that she couldn't because StarClan thought she was dirty. Blackshadow had told her that she was wrong. But she didn't believe him, then. He hadn't known about what had happened to her, she thought, so how could he know if she was tainted?

But Blackshadow had been right about StarClan. He was probably right about Thorntail and Graywhisker, too.

These cats had helped her. They hadn't had to. Why was she being so selfish? Her wounds were being soothed and mended by the warriors of Silverpelt. Didn't Thorntail deserve that same courtesy? If she could find out the truth, of why Graywhisker had gone to the Thunderpath that night, maybe Thorntail's heart would be mended. Maybe he would find that StarClan was ready to fight his demons, too.

"Where's Graywhisker?" she asked. To clarify she added, "The RiverClan warrior. Thorntail's brother."

Crimsonspirit hesitated.

Panic fluttered in Rosethorn's chest. "He is in StarClan, isn't he?" Not many cats ended their own lives, but she was certain that it wasn't in the Warrior Code. Had Graywhisker been banished to the Place of No Stars because of he had tried to end whatever his suffering had been? The thought made her fur bristle.

Her father's eyes were kind. "Of course he is, Rosethorn. His warrior ancestors came and led him to Silverpelt upon his death, and he stalks our hunting grounds as welcome as any noble warrior who was slain in battle."

Rosethorn's fur lay flat once more. "Then where is he?"

Reluctantly, Crimsonspirit stepped to the side. Her heart wrenched to pad past him, to leave him so soon after she had found him again. But as much as she wanted Crimsonspirit's security and protection, Thorntail was more important. She wasn't running in Silverpelt yet, and she had no intention to for many moons. Thorntail needed her. And he also needed to know the truth.

She padded past all of her fallen loved ones. Ebonypool's green eyes filled with warmth and understanding. Listeningecho was offering a nod of encouragement. Raykit urged her forward, and Turtlefeather used her tail to point Rosethorn in the right direction.

And Rosethorn padded on. Through StarClan's mighty hunting grounds, the magnificence and expanse tickling her fur. She knew she had trampled great amount of territory, but her paws did not sting or hurt. She felt like she had never ending energy, and that she would use every drop of it to get to her destination.

The land around her was growing darker. The earth beneath her paws was growing marshy, sticky. Instead of fleeting rabbits and squirrels swirling through her vision, she instead saw bounding frogs and toads. She was confused, at first, but when she saw the Gnarled Tree that Sapphirepaw had painstakingly described she understood. She was no longer in StarClan's hunting grounds. She was exploring ShadowClan territory.

Her whiskers twitched, concerned. Had she woken up? Was she no longer sharing tongues with StarClan? Would she ever have another chance to speak to Graywhisker?

Or even, if she had been dreaming, had she been dreaming with StarClan? Or had she been so happy to capture their warm glow once more that she had simply concocted her own dream.

Then she came to a foxhole. It dipped neatly beneath ShadowClan territory, and was almost hidden by a great stone blocking her vision. It wasn't all that unusual, but what had caught her attention was the gray cat perched on the rock, his forepaws dangling off of it neatly.

Rosethorn's breath hitched in her throat.

The gray cat was the image of Thorntail. When she had heard the other cats describe Graywhisker as Thorntail's reflection, she hadn't truly comprehended what the words meant. But the cat's fur was Thorntail's gray pelt, and his blue irises glittered like Thorntail's sapphires. His broad shoulders made him look strong, and powerful. The only difference she could discern was that Graywhisker didn't have as powerful muscles rippling beneath his pelt, and it wasn't blanketed with scars of battle. It was probably because all wounds were healed once a cat entered StarClan, she told herself.

Her mind whirled as she recalled everything she had heard about the spirit before her. He had been a noble, intelligent cat. But his mind was sharper than his claws, and his fighting skills never flourished. He had had liked mixing herbs and healing cats, and likely would have trained to be RiverClan's medicine cat if he had lived long enough. He had so loved Thorntail with the intensity that most warriors have for their Clan.

But even with Thorntail, Graywhisker had still chosen to end his life.

Graywhisker spoke, interrupting her thoughts. "I've been waiting to talk to someone. I wish I could speak to Thorntail, but I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to someone close to him."

His voice sent shivers down her spine. It was Thorntail's voice, but her mate's tone was always dripping with emotion, with a rainbow of feelings. Graywhisker's voice had Thorntail's rough beauty, but there was no feeling behind it. It wasn't monotone, as Graywhisker appropriately varied his pitch, but there was _no feeling_.

Her mind reeled to those six moons ago during Leaf-Bare. The RiverClan warrior Owlpelt had been curious about his former denmate's death and had begun digging up all sorts of facts. Shadenight and Thorntail both blamed themselves for Graywhisker's death, with Thorntail even going so far as to claim he pushed Graywhisker in front of that monster.

Now, maybe Graywhisker could make all those feelings go away. Make all the guilt fade.

"Graywhisker," Rosethorn meowed, dipping her head politely to the StarClan warrior, "there's a lot of cats in the forest that are still plagued by what you did. Nobody knows why you chose to..." she hesitated here, "to kill yourself."

Graywhisker's mellow expression didn't change. "Except for one cat."

_"Thornpaw, wait up!" _

Rosethorn's head jerked backwards. A cat had shouted behind her.

She blinked in surprise. She had thought that she and Graywhisker were speaking to one another privately. But she saw two forms pounding towards her. Was she still dreaming? Or had Graywhisker visited her in her waking hours?

Her eyes rounded as the forms grew closer, and they took shape. She could see their broad shoulders, their matching gray pelts.

Even younger, with his pelt not scored by the fangs and claws of his foes, with his fur softer and fresher, she recognized them: young Thorntail and Graypaw. Although they looked nearly identical, one of them carried himself with so much confidence and pride, like even as an apprentice the only authority he answered to was his own. This cat was rushing a fox-length ahead, his blue eyes narrowed into maleficent slits.

It had to be young-Thorntail.

But his brother had referenced him as Thornpaw. He looked a little old to still be an apprentice -- then she remembered that Thorntail hadn't earned his warrior name until much later than what normal apprentices do due to his antics, and Graywhisker had refused to take his until his brother caught up.

She glanced at the fully-grown gray cat perched on the boulder. He was Graywhisker, but she knew that the young gray cat at Thornpaw's side was also Graywhisker. Was she looking into the past? Was the cat atop the boulder the Graywhisker hunting in StarClan, and the cat rushing to Thornpaw the Graypaw of the past?

Thornpaw stumbled to a halt beside the foxhole, flicking his tail impatiently as he waited for his brother to catch up. "Hurry up, Graypaw," he cooed. His eyes were staring right past Rosethorn as if she weren't there. "There's something I want to show you!"

Graypaw hesitated before coming to Thornpaw's side. His eyes were clouded with confusion. "What is it, Thornpaw?" he asked warily. "Why did you lead us into ShadowClan territory? We're RiverClan cats, we're not supposed to - "

"I wanted to show you something," Thornpaw repeated. He jerked his tail towards the foxhole and slipped inside, signaling for Graypaw to follow him. Young Graypaw padded past his future self without a twitch of the whiskers.

Rosethorn hesitated before she followed the young cats in.

The foxhole was small, just large enough for two cats to sit comfortably, and was carpeted with ripped, torn moss and scattered feathers. The dirt walls were crisscrossed with claw marks.

And Rosethorn, she felt her jaw drop. Thorntail had told her this story, about what he had done for no reason other than to hurt Graywhisker. Because Graywhisker had so loved Smokestar...

Thornpaw slipped deeper inside, padding to the far wall before whirling to meet his brother. Even seasons past, Rosethorn could still taste the excitement sparking off of Thornpaw's pelt, and feel the cruelty rush through his blood. "Sniff the air, Graypaw," he meowed, his words dripping with venom. "I'm certain you still recognize our mother's scent, right?"

Graypaw looked confused. "Of course I do," he mumbled naively to Thornpaw, possibly not sensing the poison clouding the air. "No cat can forget the scent of their mother." He tasted the air innocently, and Rosethorn guessed that Graypaw thought his brother was merely showing him a place where his mother's scent still lingered. A place they could find her memory.

The cat's eyes rounded with horror. Graypaw had to have known then. He understood what Thornpaw was showing him, and Rosethorn's heart wrenched when she saw the cat that would become her mate still stab at the wound he had torn open.

"Do you smell that stale, musty odor?" Thornpaw coaxed. "That's the scent of mating. I know it well." Rosethorn wondered if that was another barb, hinting at how Thornpaw had taken the she-cat Graypaw had been padding after, Shadenight, as his mate.

"Do you smell mother?" Thornpaw continued, not taking his cold, blue eyes off of his kin. "She was here, entwined with a tom. For their scents to still be here, they must have come here a lot. But," he sniffed the air once more. "I don't smell Smokestar in here, do you?"

Rosethorn looked at Graypaw. Each word that Thornpaw spoke cut into the young cat like an enemy's claw, and it looked as though Graypaw was struggling not to run away.

"But you know what I _do_ smell?" Thornpaw asked, cocking his head to the side. His eyes were wide, hungry to watch Graypaw suffer. Rosethorn guessed it was a satisfying feeding frenzy, but they obviously groaned for more. "I smell another tom. I think his scent matches ours a lot more than old Smokestar, wouldn't you agree?"

Graypaw hadn't spoken. He had stiffened, his tail falling limply in the dust as he stared vacantly at the torn moss.

Not disturbed, Thornpaw took a step closer. He leaned forward and hissed into Graypaw's ear so quietly Rosethorn had to strain her own pair to hear.

"Not only did our mother betray the Warrior Code that you love so much, she betrayed the 'father' that you love so much. She betrayed him for his own little brother."

Graypaw was nearly convulsing now, as though he had lost a lot of blood.

"Stop it, Thorntail!" Rosethorn yowled, her words laced with panic and drenched with anger. "You're killing him, don't you see?"

But even if the young cat could hear her, she wasn't certain if he would have stopped. She had asked Thorntail, moons ago why he had shown Graywhisker something if he knew it would hurt him so. He had told her the truth:

_I didn't like him with his high-minded ideas and his sense of justice! I hated him for that since I was just a kit! I wished with all my heart that Graywhisker would go away._

"Not only is our very existence an insult to the Warrior Code, but it is also an insult to _anything _good and noble. Don't you see, Graypaw?" Thornpaw's words were sickly sweet, overpoweringly condescending. "We were born of our mother's betrayal. We were born because our mother turned her back on everything wholesome. _She acted like a rogue, a selfish, rogue._

Thornpaw's words still hung in the air, but he had vanished. The suffering Graypaw had disappeared too.

Rosethorn stiffened. She had seen Thorntail's cruelty before, but never like that, never towards a cat who seemed to have nothing but admiration and love for him. And he didn't do it out of anything sensible, or even logical, like revenge.

Thorntail had just done it because he wanted Graywhisker to go away.

"Is that it?" Rosethorn cried, withdrawing from the den and jerking her muzzle skyward so she could confront Graywhisker. "Did you kill yourself because you found out that you weren't Smokestar's kit?"

Graywhisker blinked. "I suppose Thorntail blames himself, thinking that what he said was what made me decide to end it. But I wasn't shocked at all." He batted the subject away with a paw. "I found out a long time ago, long before Thorntail said anything to me. Of course, I was traumatized when I first found out, but the wound had scabbed by the time Thorntail told me. With a situation like that it doesn't matter. So I am not Smokestar's son? How did that really affect anything, in the long run?" He shrugged. "The question isn't important, and the answer even less so."

"Then-then why?" The words flew out of Rosethorn's mouth, unbidden, but not unwelcome. "Was it because of what Shadenight had said to you?" Shadenight, regretting that she had to choose between Thorntail and Graywhisker, had said that it would be far more convenient for her if there were only one brother, and that Graywhisker should just go away to make her life easier. "Was it because she chose Thorntail over you? Was it because of bullying?" As half-Clan cats, for moons RiverClan was reluctant to embrace the pair of toms. "What was the problem?"

"The problem lied inside of me." Graywhisker's blue eyes showed an ocean of pain. "The problem was that I realized that there was a formless beast living inside of me." His gaze flew past Rosethorn's shoulder.

She followed his stare, suppressing a gasp as she noticed how the land around her had changed. Her paws were no longer sinking into swamp, but were instead scratching against reeds. The silence of ShadowClan seemed moons and moons away, and somewhere close by, the river roared.

She new where she was very well. It had come to be a haven of safety, a place of acceptance. She was in the RiverClan camp.

Thornpaw was outside of the apprentice's den, tearing into a piece of fresh-kill. When he raised his head to look at something eye-level, Rosethorn saw that his muzzle was stained with blood. He didn't bother to swipe his tongue across his jaws to clean it off, even when Graypaw stumbled towards him.

Graypaw, like his brother, was also stained with blood. His gray fur was matted and torn, and his eyes were shaded, defeated. "Thornpaw," Graypaw greeted, his voice high, nasally, more like a kit's than an apprentice's. These were Graypaw and Thornpaw, but they were younger than the cats she had just seen. She had padded even farther back in time.

Rosethorn felt her heart beat faster in her chest as she eyed the apprentice's injuries. Unlike Thornpaw, the blood washed across Graypaw's pelt wasn't fresh-kill. It belonged to him. Had there just been a battle?

Thornpaw wasn't concerned with his brother's injuries. "Clean that blood off yourself," he ordered, more irritated than anything. After a pause, he added, "What happened, anyway?"

"What happened?" Graypaw's meekness evaporated, and he rained down fury onto his brother. "It was Fishpaw again! Look c-can you help me get the blood off? If I don't get it off soon, someone might scent it..." His eyes were wide and troubled.

"If the Clan finds out, he'll just hurt you worse next time," Thornpaw mused, more to himself than to Graypaw it seemed.

"It's more than that," Graypaw fumed, flattening his ears against his head. "Thornpaw, can you leave Fishpaw alone? He...he only did this to me," he swished his tail across his injuries, "because he was mad at how you hurt him last time. He said I shouldn't have come crying to you, that if I have a problem with him, I should take care of it myself." Graypaw had begun frantically washing his pelt now.

Thornpaw made no move to help him. "So, Fishpaw wants to be able to bully you and wants you to just accept it."

"No, he wants me to leave the Clan, Thornpaw. He doesn't think we belong here. And...he...he thinks that if I don't like what he does to me, I should just fight him off myself. But..." Graypaw paused in his wash, and shuffled his paws.

The unspoken words rang in the air. Graypaw wasn't a good fighter. Likely, he never would be. For some reason, he didn't seem to have the natural skill that most Clan cats were born with.

"Promise me you won't hurt him," Graypaw urged. "Otherwise it'll be worse next time. Look, I can handle it, okay Thornpaw? The wounds aren't very deep, there are just a lot of them. I can wash the blood off easy. I don't need you after all."

Thornpaw took another bite from his fresh-kill. "Don't worry, Graypaw," he sighed. "Fishpaw isn't going to hurt you again because of me." He finished up and rose to his paws. "I have to go out for awhile," he called over his shoulder as he began to trot away. He repeated his original order: "Wash up."

The RiverClan camp around her melted and was replaced with the land by the river. The air around her was moist, and the land beneath her paws was wet, and sticky. Reeds clawed against her pelt as she peered forward, watching what it was that StarClan was going to reveal to her next.

She sniffed the air again, her blood chilling to ice. The moist air had become tainted, instinct telling her of danger.

She scented blood.

Rosethorn used her tail to move aside some of the reeds that had been blocking her vision. Her mouth dropped into a gape.

Thornpaw's back was arched and his claws were unsheathed. He was panting heavily, as if he had just gone a great distance.

Before him, also poised for battle, was a sleek silver tomcat. She recognized him as a younger Fishclaw, a RiverClan cat.

Fishpaw continued, "Neither you nor your brother belong here. Your mother betrayed us, and you'll do it to, one day. Thornpaw, why don't you take your brother and just get out of here?" He lifted a paw and licked some of the blood off of his claws.

Graypaw's blood.

"Betray you?" Thornpaw echoed, his voice low, dark. "I suppose, attacking a Clanmate is considered treason, then?"

If Fishpaw caught the barb, he gave no indication. He simply squared his shoulders and dropped to the ground, as if preparing to pounce. "Now go away, Thornpaw. I'm hunting for the Clan. That's what real warriors do. If you're here to avenge Graypaw," he added, "don't bother. I'll just get him worse next time. You'll have to kill me to make me stop." He sneered.

Thornpaw's eyes glittered. "That's why I'm here. I kill fish all the time, _Fish_paw. It won't be difficult."

And Fishpaw's eyes, they rounded with horror. Rosethorn could taste his fear-scent in the air the way she could taste fresh-kill. Fishpaw was a big, powerful cat, but even moons younger, Thornpaw was larger. And Thornpaw had always been a skilled fighter.

The silver apprentice was torn, she guessed. He didn't know if Thornpaw was bluffing, in which case if he ran he would gain nothing but the reputation of a coward, or if Thornpaw was telling the truth, in which case if he stayed he would be crowfood.

Thornpaw answered the question. And in a mere heartbeat after he issued the threat, Thornpaw was on his opponent. The two cats collided and fell into a storm of claws and fangs, the training their mentors had painstakingly gifted to them now being used to battle against apprentices of their own Clan, a battle to defend and take lives.

Rosethorn had seen battles. She had been in battles, and she had watched battles, and had seen all the injuries battles could make.

She had never seen anything like this. She had never seen two such young cats battle so viciously, so intent for blood.

Thornpaw's eyes were flashing blue fire, and his fangs grasped and fought for nothing but blood. His claws swished and swooped through the air like falcons descending upon their prey, always withdrawing from Fishpaw's body dripping scarlet.

Any semblance of strength or pride Fishpaw had laid claim to before disintegrated. He yowled for help, and clumsily tried to dodge Thornpaw's skilled blows. But Thornpaw's claws almost always swiped their mark, almost always left a stream of red trailing behind them.

A broken and bleeding Fishpaw tried to turn tail and flee, his paws kicking up sand and tearing up grass. An unscarred and ferocious Thornpaw charged after him, his paws launching him towards his target.

A victorious Thornpaw had Fishpaw pinned and defeated.

Fishpaw yowled for help.

"Oh, what's this?" Thornpaw asked, his voice sodden with sarcasm. He quoted Fishpaw's words to Graypaw with a cold loathing, "If you don't like what I'm going to do to you - and I am going to kill you, Fishpaw - then you should just stop me yourself. That's what _real _warriors do." His jaws parted, and he prepared to dive for Fishpaw's jugular.

Rosethorn had heard Thorntail tell the story, and she knew what was going to happen, but that didn't stop her paws from jittering beneath her. The look in Thornpaw's eyes was sending shivers down her spine, and the brutality of the scene before her made her voice release a yowl that no cat could hear.

_ "Stop!" _

The cry hadn't come from Rosethorn.

Thornpaw didn't release Fishpaw, but he did look up.

Rosethorn followed Thornpaw's gaze and saw Graypaw stumbling towards the pair of dueling apprentices.

"Stop," Graypaw repeated, stopping a fox-length away. "Thornpaw, don't kill Fishpaw. It isn't worth it. Just stop it!"

_Listen to your brother, Thorntail,_ Rosethorn prayed. _Don't do this._

Thornpaw held his brother's gaze for a long moment, before shaking his head. "Like a blackbird singing the same song all the time," he mumbled. He raised his neck once more, preparing to fire it downwards and dig his fangs into Fishpaw, ending it all for the young cat right then and there.

Rosethorn looked to Graypaw, expecting him to launch himself at Thorntail, to protect his Clanmate from the demise waiting for him.

But Graypaw didn't look panicked, or horrified. His blue eyes were glittering with as much joy, as much excitement as Thornpaw's.

Graypaw's mew was scarcely over a whisper, and Rosethorn doubted that either Fishpaw or Thornpaw heard it. But it reverberated through her ears, sent chills down her spine, and made a sharp wind rush over her as if StarClan themselves had shouted it to the heavens.

_"Die, river-rat." _

And it was there that the scene melted away, once again setting Rosethorn's paws on the territory of Silverpelt. Her heart was roaring in her chest, and panic was coursing through her veins as though it was her life, not Fishpaw's, that had been threatened.

She knew that his mentor, who had been coming to check on the progress of his hunt, would rescue Fishpaw's life. Thorntail had told her the story before. Thorntail had been comparing himself to Silverleaf, when he told her. He had said that he had once merely tried to kill a cat for the sake of killing.

And Rosethorn had told him that it had been different. She excused him, saying he had simply meant to protect Graypaw.

But after seeing the scene take place before her, seeing the joy, the excitement, the ecstasy flash in Thornpaw's eyes, she wasn't sure if her words still held true.

Graywhisker was at her side. He wasn't broken or bleeding, and he was no longer an apprentice. He was the current Graywhisker, the one hunting in Silverpelt.

"I wasn't upset at all," Graywhisker explained, his voice low and chilling, just like it had been when he had decreed death onto Fishpaw. "It started there, I suppose. I discovered the existence of a cold-hearted, bloodthirsty murderer. And he was living inside of me.

"At the time, I didn't know why, but my heart was racing. I longed to see what would happen next, longed to see Fishpaw's blood stream into the river, and see the light in his eyes fade. I felt like a kit waiting to become an apprentice, waiting to start the fun, waiting for something I had waited my whole life for."

Each word Graywhisker sent made Rosethorn's throat clench.

Graywhisker continued. "The Warrior Code states that the lives of cats are sacred. The Warrior Code is designed merely to make sure that cats survive, that they are protected even when they are too weak or old to protect themselves anymore. But to me, life -- all life, be it belonging to a vole, a Twoleg, or a cat -- is nothing but a walking pile of flesh.

"Life isn't miraculous. It has no beauty. It has no dignity. Other than myself, I only admit to Thorntail's existence. I only admit to his beauty, his miracle. He's the only one I can forgive.

"When I was with Thorntail," Graywhisker's eyes shaded with nostalgia, "all I had to do was cry out to him, or beg, or bleed. The weaker I was, the stronger Thorntail became. It's like through Thorntail, I was able to be destructive and bloodthirsty. And through me, Thorntail was able to protect something."

If Graywhisker got hurt, Thorntail would have rushed to his aid and destroyed whatever had been troubling him. All Graywhisker had to do was act weak, act helpless, and he could use Thorntail like other cats used their fangs and claws to strike down their enemies.

_Am I the same way?_ When she had met Flamesoul on the SunningRocks, had she used Thorntail to make Flamesoul writhe? Had she taken Graywhisker's place, as she had suspected shortly after she discovered the truth behind Graywhisker's suicide? Was she using Thorntail to fight what she could not?

No, no, no. She loved Thorntail. Everything she was thinking was wrong. Everything Graywhisker was saying was wrong. Life was sacred, it was miraculous, it was beautiful and dignified.

And she loved Thorntail.

Graywhisker was wrong, and she knew why, but she couldn't tell him why. She couldn't put her opinions into words, find anything to prove that life was beautiful, that her love was pure. She just knew.

And it was for Thorntail that she had to know the truth. "So why did you kill yourself?"

The gray cat's claws had slipped from their sheaths. "Because I discovered that Thorntail was leaving me. We'd been together ever since we were born…" he trailed off, seeming momentarily lost in his memories, before he continued. His voice was hard. "But because there was a Thorntail, there was a normal me. I was able to be the kind, noble, obedient cat everyone thought I was. Thorntail was the reason I was able to keep the dark side of me from emerging.

"I was… scared of myself. I was never as strong as Thorntail. He has the courage to face himself, to act as he truly is. So, I decided to end it all. There was a monster inside me trying to destroy me; I decided to destroy him with a monster on the outside."

Rosethorn remembered her naïve thoughts when she had been younger: that there was no such thing as a cat that had to go away. Every cat had purpose; every cat had a place in the forest. They could all do good, they could all earn their worth. No cat was born bad, or evil. The evil cats chose to do what they did, of their own free will.

Graywhisker didn't think that. He had detected a brutal streak in himself. A lust for blood for the sake of blood, a sadism that she had seen in few cats.

Instead of allowing himself to hurt anyone, instead of feeding his lust, he had ended it before he could hurt anyone.

She thought of Silverleaf, and how he liked to spill blood to see the blood, not to defend his Clan, not to defend his loved ones. She recalled Spiritheart's pain as she reminded Smokestar of how her son, Goldclaw, had been senselessly killed by a bored Silverleaf.

"Please tell Thorntail," Graywhisker's plea interrupted her thoughts, "that we are nothing alike. Like the sun and the moon, our natures are completely different..."

Graywhisker's words were like whispers of the breeze, gently cascading on Rosethorn's pelt. But while his voice was clear, running through her spine, climbing her, clawing her, he wasn't to be seen. Silverpelt had once again vanished, and the mighty trees that she knew so well were climbing from the earth, and grass and ferns were sprouting all around her.

The strong, familiar scent of ThunderClan filled the air. Leaves, earth, sand, trees -- ThunderClan ruled this territory.

And as she gazed around, she recognized where she was. She remembered how many times she had been told to be wary of this dangerous territory, for the ShadowClan territory lie just over the border.

And the border was woefully dangerous as well. Its smell pummeled her scent glands, scraped against her nostril and spat its acid on her tongue.

For the border was the Thunderpath. And it laid hardly a tail-length before her.

Above her head, a light snow was beginning to fall to the earth, and the sun had begun its climb over the horizon. And right beside her, a whisker's brush to her flank, there was Graywhisker. His eyes didn't focus on her, and were instead flicking his gaze from the Thunderpath to the patch of deathberries he had set at his paws.

The Thunderpath, the snow, Graywhisker.

She knew what was going to happen. She knew what Graywhisker was going to do, what Thorntail was going to see. She knew that he was about to receive the worst scar of all, not the sort that you receive in battle, but the sort that scores across your heart, and cuts and blisters and bleeds for the rest of your life.

No, no, no, no, no, _no._

Rosethorn shook her head wildly, willing herself to wake up. She didn't need to see this! She didn't _want_ to see this! She didn't need to see Graywhisker die; she didn't need to see Thorntail suffer. She did not need to see her mate be completely destroyed, see him lose the thing he loved most - even if he never was able to admit that love while Graywhisker lived.

She didn't need to see Thorntail die inside. She didn't need to know!

She fled from the Thunderpath, flying wildly into the undergrowth, charging wildly into the very territory she had just fled two sunrises ago.

Because she could imagine nothing worse than seeing what had scarred Thorntail so, what had sunk so deeply into him and tore at his very soul.

She pounded forward. Even if she found Flamesoul, even if she found the demons of hell, she knew nothing could be worse than seeing suffering like that.

As she ran, the voices of RiverClan echoed through her head.

_"Where do you suppose Graywhisker went?"_

_ "He was supposed to be sitting vigil!"_

_ "It's not normal for a cat to just leave camp during their vigil."_

_"Something must have happened." _

_ "...You're right. Puddlespots, Speedtail, Owlpaw, Shadepaw, go find Graywhisker. Thorntail, you stay in camp, you're probably tired from your vigil. I'm sure it's nothing. Thorntail, get back here. Thorntail. Thorntail!" _

Thorntail was far away, but she could already hear his paw steps thundering through the forest. She could taste his panic, and scent his fear. Not for himself, but for his brother. All the way in RiverClan territory, she could feel the guilt already seeping off of his pelt.

Because he knew Graywhisker so well. He had to know what was going to happen.

As she continued her flight from the Thunderpath, she heard a cat scurry past her. She tossed a look over her shoulder to see the dark she-cat Shadenight - Shadepaw, then - rushing after Graywhisker's scent. Her eyes were wide and troubled, as if she too somehow sensed what was about to happen.

And a mere heartbeat later, Shadepaw was crashing backwards, and zoomed past Rosethorn once again but in the opposite direction as before, yowling for her patrol, yowling for Thorntail.

And Rosethorn heard Graywhisker's voice echo through her head, a soft, calm quiet voice, speaking more to himself than to anyone: _That's right, go get Thorntail._

And then she stumbled in her tracks, pausing her rapid, wild dash.

Charging towards her, his eyes round and wild with panic, was Thorntail. His paws slammed down onto the earth beneath him, and he charged through ThunderClan territory as if it were his own. He ran for Graywhisker, ran because he knew what his kin was going to do, knew he had to save him.

He brushed past her.

A storm of thoughts, of memories came flooding into her head as ginger and gray fur mingled. Thorntail was thinking of when they were kits, shuckling alongside one another. They had hunted prey together, tossed moss. They had snuck out of the nursery, snuck out of the apprentice den, all together. They had endured Smokestar's hatred together, endured RiverClan's distrust. All the times, lonely and isolated by their distrustful Clanmates, they had been able to find companionship in one another. They hadn't needed RiverClan, they hadn't needed ShadowClan, they hadn't needed their father or mother, _they had had each other._

They had received their warrior names, side by side.

He was thinking of everything he had said to him. Every fruitless battle, every barbed comment, everything he had done just to hurt his brother. He had stolen Graywhisker's mate, taken him away from ShadowClan, took away Smokestar, taken everything from him just to make Graywhisker suffer.

And now, he wanted nothing more than to take them all back.

It wasn't over, Thorntail didn't want it to be over, he wanted his brother.

All of that flashed through Rosethorn's mind in a mere heartbeat. Thorntail had rushed past her, not seeing or sensing the she-cat that would one day be his mate.

After a brief hesitation, Rosethorn whirled around and chased after him.

Thorntail wasn't going to face this alone.

She ran at his side, refusing to allow him to face the demon ahead by himself.

Thorntail's muscles rippled beneath his pelt, and his paws launched him forward at a speed any WindClan cat would envy. As the pair of cats rain, they brushed up fallen leaves around them, scrambled over tree branches, ducked under ferns and charged through brambles. Nothing made them veer to the side, nothing made them halt.

If StarClan themselves had stood in their way, StarClan themselves would have been trampled.

The snow was coming down faster, now. It was whirling, dancing to the ground, and beautifully blanketing the earth. The blue twilight overhead was glittering, just beginning to hide the warriors of Silverpelt until the following night.

Maybe StarClan was lingering for a reason. Maybe StarClan knew that they were about to welcome a new warrior.

And Rosethorn, she ran faster. Beside her, Thorntail kept pelting forward. His pelt was bleeding and torn from the bracken and brambles, and the earth where he tred his paws became blanketed with blood. He was in pain, she knew he had to be, but he didn't alter his pace. He didn't slow down. He flew as if on wings, his eyes never looking anywhere but ahead, where his Clanmate, his kin, his brother, Graywhisker was waiting for him.

Rosethorn ran shoulder to shoulder with him for so long, soon even her mind was flashing with hope, her entire consciousness having fallen back in time. _Maybe we can stop him. If we get there in time, we can convince him not to do what he's going to do. We can all go back to the RiverClan camp, we can all live the rest of our lives, we can be happy. No cat has to die!_

The acrid scent of Thunderpath pounded her senses.

With his mate at his side, Thorntail exploded through the ferns, tumbling right before the Thunderpath, right before the roaring monsters, right before Graywhisker.

Brother and brother, sun and moon, held each other's gaze for an eternity measured in breaths and heartbeats.

Monsters were scoring down the Thunderpath, Clans upon Clans of them. Their intentions were unknown, their eyes blank and staring ahead at nothing, nothing but where they were going.

But their roars, the wind howling around them, the rustling of leaves and the yowling of the patrol coming from behind: everything was blacked out. All was silent, all was mute, and nothing else was there except for Graywhisker and Thorntail.

Thorntail's eyes flashed from his brother, to the deathberries at his paws, to the Thunderpath. Then they rested on his brother again. His blue eyes clouded with pain, and they pleaded and begged even before Thorntail's tongue did.

Thorntail hesitatingly took a step towards his brother, as though moving too fast would frighten him into the clutches of death. He was shaking his head, unable to believe what he was seeing, not wanting to see what he was seeing.

Graywhisker's eyes were narrowed into maleficent little slits, mirroring his brother's expression in the foxhole. His eyes were sharper than any claw, armed with pure loathing and disgust.

Pure blame.

Rosethorn had never heard Thorntail's voice quiver before. But it did, it shook and tumbled like the snow falling around him. "G-Graywhisker," he meowed, calling his brother by his warrior name for what was likely the first time.

He flicked his tail to the empty space beside him, offering it forward. Thorntail's eyes were blue pools of regret, oceans of sorrow. "Come back here," he pleaded.

Graywhisker's expression was stoic, as if he had not heard what his brother had said.

_Please, Graywhisker,_ Rosethorn prayed to the long-dead cat, _Don't die. Come back with Thorntail, don't hurt him, please!_

Thorntail's voice was louder, harsher, more of an order than a request. "Come back here," he repeated. But his eyes were still those of a beggar, still pleading, still bowing.

_Please, Graywhisker. Don't hurt Thorntail._

And Graywhisker, he stepped away from the Thunderpath. He buried his muzzle into his brother's chest, entwined his tail with his.

Joy, raw, wrenching, warm joy flashed in Thorntail's eyes. It didn't have to end. Rosethorn knew that he would never hurt Graywhisker like that again, he was sorry, he'd make it up to him, they'd catch so much prey together and mentor apprentices together and fight for RiverClan and becomes elders together. They had just been named warriors, and nothing was ending. Their lives were just beginning, and it would be rich. Now that he knew that Graywhisker was too precious to lose, how much he loved and needed him, everything would be okay, now.

"Thorntail," Graywhisker meowed, stepping backwards to stare more meaningfully at his kin. "We're always going to be together."

Thorntail's jaws parted to reply. Rosethorn guessed he was going to agree, to say that he and Graywhisker would be inseparable now, that he loved him, that he was stupid to scare him so much and ---

"I'll wait for you," Graywhisker finished.

Thorntail twitched, confused.

_And Graywhisker whirled around and leaped. _

He flew into the sky, his forepaws jutting towards StarClan. For a moment he was frozen in midair and she thought maybe he was just going to fly into the sky like a bird, like an angel.

Thorntail flinched, his paws willing him onward but his instinct probably keeping him back, his face contorted in shock, in horror, in disbelief because he had been born with Graywhisker and he had always been with him and -- Graywhisker, he couldn't just be dead!

But he was dead, for he wasn't an angel. Instead of flying to the heavens he flew to the ground, to the Thunderpath. And the monster, it flew towards him, smashing him and squeezing him, unbothered by the cat beneath its paws.

And then it was gone.

And then Graywhisker was gone.

Behind her, Rosethorn heard Shadepaw's pitiful wail.

Beside her, Thorntail's jaws were still parted, but now in a silent yowl, a silent cry of agony. A cry that was still echoing through the forest.

And then, without checking if another monster was roaring down the Thunderpath, Thorntail padded onto the gray stone.

Rosethorn could see from her position at the Thunderpath's side. Graywhisker's body was flattened, mutilated, lying in a puddle of its own blood.

And Thorntail, he was standing above Graywhisker's corpse. A corpse that had formed with him in Lightsnow's womb, that had been with him every day of his life, that his been the only thing that had been entirely loyal to him, the only thing that trusted him.

A corpse that was exactly like him. They both had gray pelts. Both had blue eyes. Both had the same facial structure, muscles, jaws.

Both had been mutilated, both had been crushed. One from the outside, one from within.

Rosethorn padded to her mate's side and pressed her muzzle against his flank even though she knew he couldn't feel it. Her heart was torn seeing Thorntail suffer, seeing the cat that had so protected her writhe, and being unable to do anything about it. All she could do was try to be there.

Thorntail's eyes were as glazed and dead as Graywhisker's as he still held his brother's gaze.

_Tell Thorntail,_ Graywhisker's voice echoed in her head once more, _that I wish I was as strong as he was. And that I take comfort that I at least live on in his heart. _

_ And ask him to please let his own monster forever live in his heart as well. The two of us will always be together. Tell him that I wait for him. Thorntail. Tell him that I hope he comes back to me soon._

* * *

Hey, guys! See? I'm getting good at this 'Don't Not Update For Six Months' thing! ^^

Anyways, I was wondering what you guys thought about something: Did Graywhisker make the right decision? He saw something very wrong with him, and before he hurt anyone, he hurt himself. Was that a good thing? Where do you stand on this issue? Inquiring minds want to know.

Review and get a steel baseball bat!


	22. Chapter 20

**Enjoy,**

* * *

"Smokestar is always saying that a cat hasn't truly mastered their skills until they can teach them to another cat," Sapphirepaw recited.

Rosethorn was being led by the young apprentice through the bowels of ShadowClan territory. And although Rosethorn strained her ears to lap up every syllable of Sapphirepaw's words, she found her attention waning, and her mind wandering.

"So," Sapphirepaw continued, a bounce falling into her step, "I am going to teach you how to hunt in ShadowClan territory. If I have enough skill to teach another cat, then I have truly mastered hunting! But we have to find the perfect spot, see…"

The land underneath Rosethorn's paws was wet and sticky. Each time she pressed her foot down, she felt like the earth was about to suck her inside the toxic sludge.

Pulling her down, pulling her somewhere she didn't want to go –

_In a situation like that, maybe it's better to die…_

Rosethorn shook her head wildly, chasing the thought out of her head.

Graywhisker had visited her in her dreams just the night before, but she still felt like she hadn't woken up. Every sound, every scent, every sight and feeling led her mind to Graywhisker, and what he had shared with her the previous evening.

He was haunting her.

"It's true!" Sapphirepaw cried, noticing how vigorous Rosethorn was shaking her head. "The swamp here is very sucky – not sucky as in bad, but sucky as in it will suck you down if you're not careful. But the same goes for prey, and if you're lucky, sometimes you _will_ find an unlucky mouse that the territory caught for you!"

Rosethorn focused on Sapphirepaw. "I believe you," she meowed. "Sorry, there was just…a fly, that's all. I was trying to shake it away."

This was accepted as a suitable excuse, and Sapphirepaw went on rattling hunting tips.

Rosethorn knew that Sapphirepaw was trying to help, and that if she wanted to be comfortable in ShadowClan she had to know how to hunt in its unforgiving territory.

_But Graywhisker looked _so_ much like Thorntail. _Hearing Graywhisker profess his apathy towards life, and listening to his voice, so much like Thorntail's yet lacking its fire, its warmth, its_ life_, and seeing his mutilated, smashed corpse lying on the Thunderpath –

It struck a nerve. It struck a raw, exposed, bruised nerve. She knew that the chills coursing through her were not just the result of the cold north winds that ShadowClan was notorious for. Her shivers were coming from the inside out, tearing and ravaging through her like an unquenchable beast.

"You have to be careful," Sapphirepaw was saying, settling herself down on near a patch of grass. "A lot of good cats have gotten stuck in the marsh. Sometimes I wonder how some of those cats would have been if they lived…" she trailed off, as if offering a moment of silence to the cats who had lost their lives in the home they so loved.

_How those cats would have been if they lived…_

Rosethorn felt the wind in her face, the wind through her fur. Exhaustion gripped her. She felt like she had just run to HighStones from the Twolegplace.

_If Graywhisker hadn't died, what would Thorntail be like?_

If Graywhisker had lived to manipulate Thorntail into revealing his most brutal, violent and vicious face, using his brother as a claw to strike down any cat that he felt deserved it – and he didn't think life was valuable, so no cat would be spared. Thorntail was so strong; he could be used for so much destruction, especially with such a smart cat like Graywhisker.

The thought made her breath catch in her throat, and made her have to struggle to hold back a yowl. But the thought flashed through her mind nonetheless, and even though she knew it was wrong, and if Thorntail knew she even considered it he would never forgive her, she couldn't take it back. She wouldn't take it back.

_I'm glad Graywhisker is dead. _

Sapphirepaw had stopped speaking. Her muzzle had flown into the air, and she was taking a long whiff.

"What is it?" Rosethorn asked, suddenly concerned. "Is something wrong?"

The apprentice's dark eyes grew darker. Her small paws were crowned with glittering claws. "I smell a rogue," she snarled.

Rosethorn instinctively crouched low to the ground. Rogues were cats who lived outside the warrior code. They were unpredictable, and were notoriously dangerous.

Sapphirepaw was looking at something over Rosethorn's shoulder. "I know you're behind that bramble bush!" she growled. "Show yourself! You're on ShadowClan territory!"

Rosethorn heard a shuffling off paws behind her, and apprehensively stole a look over her shoulder, expecting to see a huge, battle-scarred rogue reveal himself from behind the thorn sharp wall of brambles.

Instead, the cat that crawled out from behind the bush was a small, brown tabby she-cat. She looked worn and weather-beaten, her fur ruffled and unwashed. Although she had the physical appearance of a conquered adversary, her sand-colored eyes glittered with defiance. She had a musty scent reverberating off of her fur, along with a crowfood.

"Lark!" Sapphirepaw's voice rose with excitement as she scurried past Rosethorn, and pressed her muzzle affectionately into the newcomer's side. 

The tabby's own voice was warm as she mewed, "Sapphirekit? I have been gone for a whole lot of while if Gemstep's tiniest young 'un has had time to grow so big!"

"I'm Sapphire_paw_ now!"

"'Paw or 'kit, you're still as pretty as that ol' gem you're named for." The rogue turned her attention to Rosethorn, eyes narrowed into slits. "And who in the name of that big ol' Clan that runs in the skies are you?"

Rosethorn blinked. The last thing she had expected the rogue to do was question_ her_ authority to be here.

"Oh," Sapphirepaw scurried from the cat's side, and pressed herself to Rosethorn's. "This is Rosethorn. She was a ThunderClan cat, but she's going to be a ShadowClan warrior now. Rosethorn, this," she flicked her tail towards the brown tabby, "is Lark."

Rosethorn offered a greeting, but couldn't keep her ear from flicking uncomfortably. Lark had the mottled scent and appearance of a rogue. Why was Sapphirepaw being so warm to her? ShadowClan was infamously territorial, and did not suffer trespassers lightly.

Sapphirepaw caught Rosethorn's confusion. "Lark is a friend of ShadowClan," the apprentice explained breezily. "She's welcome in our territory whenever she likes."

Lark bobbed her head in agreement. "I was hopin' that I'd be welcome in your camp, too. I wanted to ask handsome tomcat Smokestar a favor."

Rosethorn expected Sapphirepaw to show reluctance at allowing a rogue into her camp, but there was none to be found. "Sure, no problem!"

Thorntail had curled up in his nest the night before.

He had slunk into the warrior's den, curled up in the warm nest between Owlpelt and Cinnamonfur, tried his best to ignore the emptiness of Rosethorn's beside him, fluttered his eyes closed, and tried to sleep.

And he had slept.

But all he dreamt about was drowning.

He dreamt about the suffocating water crashing around him, the dirty, treacherous liquid flooding into his lungs, refusing to allow him to breath. He had felt his mother's weight atop him, holding him under, murmuring words of love and affection as she forbid him life.

He had felt helpless, unable to control the outcome. His mother was too powerful, and he was too weak. Whatever happened, he had no choice. Live or die, it wasn't his decision.

And now, awake and setting his prey in the fresh-kill pile, he felt like he hadn't woken up. He was still drowning.

RiverClan was drowning him. As his gaze spread across his Clanmates, _his prey_, he felt himself sinking deeper. Each friendly word, every affectionate nudge, sent another wave of acidic fluid into him, sucking him deeper, and deeper under.

And even across the border, distances upon distances away, he felt Smokestar's weight holding him underneath.

A victorious yowl tore him from his thoughts. He jerked his head towards the entrance of the camp, where several warriors were slinking out of the water and padding triumphantly into the comfort of their home. Their pelts were disheveled and torn; blood and water were running down their bristling backs. And their eyes, a rainbow of amber, green, blue and freckled, gleamed with triumph.

Tawnyleaf was among them.

As the large patrol slunk deeper into the camp, Duststar flew onto the smooth stone that served as RiverClan's meeting place, formally calling his Clan around him.

Thorntail joined the rest of his Clan and pricked his ears with interest to listen to the meeting.

Duststar had the stance of a younger cat as he stared expectantly down at his deputy. "I detect a scent of victory from your pelts," he meowed, the quivering nature of his voice the only thing that betrayed his age. "I am not disappointed?"

Tawnyleaf had picked her way through the crowd and met her foster father's gaze confidently. "We were successful."

Jubilant yowls bounced around Thorntail, but his ear flicked in confusion. Successful? Successful at what?

_Some spy I'm turning out to be. RiverClan launches a massive attack and I didn't even know it was happening! _

He told himself that it had merely been an oversight on his part, and he hadn't been purposely keeping himself in the dark over the intricacies of his Clan so he would have no information to offer.

He took a step backwards, and looked at the matter objectively. For Rosethorn, he needed to gather information. And the easiest way to do that was to ask questions.

Thorntail's father was a ShadowClan cat. He had the blood in him to be conniving, to be treacherous. He summoned up all the abilities his genes offered to him, and turned to Cinnamonfur. "What are they talking about?"

Genius!

The tan tabby pouted. "Oh, yeah, you wouldn't know, would you? You were too busy with that ShadowClan she-cat when the announced the battle plans, huh?" His words were scathing with envy.

Thorntail's ear flicked. He could have had a morsel of respect for Cinnamonfur if the tomcat was upset over him crossing the border and fraternizing with an enemy warrior, but he knew that Cinnamonfur was merely upset because he so wanted a mate for himself. And even in his own Clan, no she-cat was willing to have him.

He jabbed his friend playfully in the side with a sheathed forepaw. "Come on, Cinnamonfur, tell me."

Cinnamonfur hesitated before replying. "Well, Tawnyleaf thought it was too risky to launch a full attack on ShadowClan, so she suggested we simply attack their border patrols." His eyes were on Duststar as the leader pried Tawnyleaf for details. "Duststar agreed. This was the first attack. This way, either ShadowClan will stop sending patrols, and then we'll invade, or ShadowClan will attack us." Cinnamonfur flexed his claws. "But some of them'll be weakened by the skirmishes. And we'll be ready for them. Tawnyleaf says that Smokestar would have to be omni...omni..."

"...Omnipresent?" Thorntail guessed.

"Yeah, omnipresent for him to be able to get us."

Omnipresent, or just have a spy.

The thought was like a thorn digging into his heart, so he instead turned his attention to the meeting.

"...It wasn't difficult," Tawnyleaf was meowing. "There were three of them, but there were more of us. They didn't expect us to come at them like we did, and," she lifted a golden paw and revealed her gleaming claws, stained with blood, "we left them with a few injuries. They fled back into their territories, mewing like kits to their mother."

Amused purrs rippled through the Clan. Thorntail fought to keep the panic fluttering in his chest from escaping through a pained yowl.

"Excellent," Duststar purred. Almost as an after thought he added, "You did not slay a cat, did you? The Warrior Code Forbids killing unnecessarily."

Thorntail was a little surprised at how formal and wise Duststar seemed. But he supposed that since RiverClan had fallen on harder times, Duststar had started to try and become the true leader he was meant to be. He no longer mocked StarClan, or sneered at the warrior code. It was hard to imagine that he had ever had.

Surely StarClan saw through the façade? Surely they realized that Duststar, like every cat who had ever existed, was only acting so that he would get what he wanted? In this case, he wanted StarClan's help in victory against ShadowClan.

And in all honesty, Thorntail wanted StarClan to assist RiverClan in victory against ShadowClan, too.

Once Tawnyleaf had assured him that no warrior had been added to StarClan's ranks because of RiverClan, Duststar meowed, "Send another patrol out. Smokestar may send a group of cats down here to take revenge."

Tawnyleaf dipped her head, and started to list the names of her chosen warriors.

As the Clan gathered down their deputy excitedly, Thorntail sat alone, his heart pounding in his chest.

No, Smokestar wouldn't send a battle patrol down. He was calculating, meticulous. He wouldn't make a move like that without a purpose, a goal in mind. And while Smokestar was vengeful, Thorntail knew that he was even more patient, and would rather wait to spill as much RiverClan blood as he could with the odds comfortably in his favor.

Thorntail knew that, as ShadowClan's eyes and ears, he had to discover the strength of the patrols Tawnyleaf sent out. He would also need to know when they were sent out, if they planned on going deeper into ShadowClan territory, if they wanted to kill or frighten.

He thought that maybe, he could just not tell Smokestar about them. Or maybe he could tell Smokestar the wrong information.

But Rosethorn was in the ShadowClan camp. If Thorntail betrayed ShadowClan by being loyal to RiverClan, he knew he would have sentenced Rosethorn to die.

Since, according to Cinnamonfur, this was the first strike RiverClan had made against ShadowClan, he had a few days to give Smokestar the information before the leader grew distrusting.

He looked towards Tawnyleaf, the RiverClan deputy, the she-cat who had all the information he needed. She was his friend. She trusted him. Trusted him so much, she had told him that she would name him as her deputy when she became leader herself.

And just like he had betrayed Graywhisker those moons ago, just as he had spat in the face of his love and trust, Thorntail was going to use her faith to destroy everything she loved.

---

The ShadowClan camp was already in turmoil when Rosethorn, Sapphirepaw, and Lark stumbled through the bracken barrier and entered.

Smokestar was perched atop the miniature hill he had stood upon the day before when he had named Patchfoot as a warrior. Instead of his characteristic tail-twitch he was furiously lashing his tail, barking orders at the cats gathered around him.

Alarmed, the three cats bounded forward, stumbling to a halt on the outskirts of the assembly of ShadowClan cats. As Rosethorn spread her gaze about them, she noticed that about every single one of their pelts were bristling with rage.

She scented blood in the air. A cat had been injured.

What had happened?

Sapphirepaw had turned to the ginger cat that had protested Rosethorn's entry into the Clan the day before, gathering answers. "What happened, Rufflepelt?" she prompted. "What's going on?"

Rufflepelt was flexing her claws. "The fox-hearted cowards!" she snarled.

"RiverClan?" Sapphirepaw guessed.

Rufflepelt nodded affirmation. "None other," she snarled. "They attacked Onyxpelt's patrol!"

"What?" Rosethorn and Sapphirepaw's exclamation of surprise merged into one.

Rufflepelt explained. "There were two other cats on Onyxpelt's patrol: Stripedtalon and Snowheart. There were over twice that in RiverClan's patrol. Our cats didn't cross the border, or do anything aggressive, but even so, the pieces of crowfood ambushed them."

"Is Onyxpelt okay?" Sapphirepaw burst out. Rosethorn recalled that Onyxpelt was Sapphirepaw's father, and the small apprentice had already lost two of her sisters to RiverClan. Any mention of the watery warriors probably sent pulses of alarm raking through her.

"He's fine, everyone's fine," Rufflepelt assured her, her yellow eyes soft. "They're all in Shadedhope's den now. But they collected some nasty injuries. This was the first time ShadowClan ever lost a battle on our own territory in Smokestar's entire reign as leader," she added grimly.

Rosethorn's head was spinning. Until just a few days ago, she had called RiverClan cats friends. She guessed that at their camp, right now, they were jubilant and celebrating.

And from the tingle in her paws, she knew that her instincts were on their side.

She shook the thought away, and tried to think. Duststar hadn't ever been too aggressive towards ShadowClan. He had been paranoid about an attack, but hadn't the gumption to organize a strike himself.

It had to be Tawnyleaf. Rosethorn had heard the golden she-cat confess to her brutal nature, her conniving ways. Tawnyleaf was encouraging RiverClan into battle.

And if ShadowClan and RiverClan stopped snarling at each other and actually began locking claws, she knew that she and Thorntail would be caught between them.

"Are we being invaded?" Sapphirepaw cried, swiping her claws through the air as if she saw a RiverClan warrior standing right before her.

"Smokestar sent Cricketjump and a few other cats out to make sure we're not," Rufflepelt replied. "But they had distinct orders to flee and not battle if there was trouble, and…" she trailed off, lashing her tail.

Clearly, the ginger warrior wanted a full counter strike, and fast.

"Oh, no," Sapphirepaw rapidly shook her head. "Remember the last time ShadowClan just charged into battle without a good plan?" Her dark eyes were wide and troubled. "Stormpool and Marshclaw died! Daddy still hasn't forgiven himself for not following Smokestar's advice and waiting," she added meekly.

Rosethorn knew of he event that Sapphirepaw was referencing. She had fought in the battle, and had defended RiverClan's territory against the invading ShadowClan cats. Marshclaw had tried to kill Duststar, and to defend his leader; Tigerflame had cut the dark warrior down. Tawnyleaf had taken Stormpool's life.

And apparently Smokestar had not ordered the ferocious and blood-pulsing battle. Onyxpelt, who had confessed on the battlefield that he was trying to avenge the death of his kit, had acted without orders.

Rufflepelt nodded. "Of course we're going to listen to Smokestar," she promised. "He's never led this Clan wrong before. But," she fixed her gaze on Rosethorn, "I suppose there's a first time for everything."

Rosethorn met Rufflepelt's stare evenly, and scrambled in her mind for a retort, but could find nothing.

Rufflepelt wasn't staring at her anymore, however. Her yellow eyes sparkled with amusement. "Is that you, Lark? I was so wound up about this battle that I didn't notice. How long have you been here?"

Lark spoke up from her seat beside Rosethorn. "I've bin' on this world more seasons th'n I care to count," she replied warmly. "But I have only been in your camp for a few beats of the heart."

"Always a pleasure to see you," Rufflepelt dipped her head politely; as if she were speaking to an elder or superior, before she turned and stalked off.

But Rosethorn hardly noticed the ginger cat's absence, because now the ShadowClan cats were circling the rogue, their purrs and joyous mews flooding the air.

Rosethorn turned to Sapphirepaw, curious. "Why does everyone like Lark so much?"

"She's a friend," Sapphirepaw responded. When Rosethorn still looked confused, she elaborated. "Well, you know how Smokestar had a brother, Graythorn?"

_Thorntail's father. _"Yes, I remember."

"Well, when Graythorn was an apprentice, he made a mistake out in the bog, and almost got sucked underneath. Smokestar was his mentor at the time, but he couldn't find a way to save his brother. Lark happened to be passing by, and she dove after him. She saved our Clan leader's brother's life," Sapphirepaw purred. "We usually don't like rogues because they're dangerous and we don't have enough prey to spare. But Lark isn't dangerous, and it's never a waste of prey to feed a cat who helped us like that."

"But isn't Graythorn dead, now?"

"That wasn't Lark's fault."

A new voice broke into Rosethorn and Sapphirepaw's conversation. "You know your Clan's history well, Sapphirepaw."

The apprentice whirled, her night-colored eyes flashing with stars when she saw that her mentor had come down from the Meeting Hill and was approaching her. "I try to remember every story the elders ever told me," Sapphirepaw purred. "I know that we can learn a lot from the cats that came before us!"

Sapphirepaw's voice was so high and cheerful that Rosethorn knew that the apprentice couldn't have known the shadow that had fallen across Smokestar's face. What was upsetting him? Did he not like Lark being in his camp?

But when he finally picked his way through his warriors and stood before the loner, there was not a trace of scorn or distaste on his face. "Lark," he greeted. While his tone was level and full of authority, his swirling and whipping tail betrayed his affection for the she-cat.

Lark's worn face lifted when she saw Smokestar. "Hiya," she purred. "Didaye come at a bad time? Your Clan here seems to be havin' a crisis."

"Not a crisis," Smokestar swept the idea away with his tail. "An inconvenience. Another Clan is stirring up unnecessary trouble. But we have something that I pray will give us the victory we deserve."

Lark blinked. "Eh? And what's 'dat?"

"My son, Thorntail," Smokestar meowed. "He is spying on RiverClan for us. I'm sure he will give us something we can use against them soon."

"And what if he doesn't?"

This was a new voice, and it belonged to a jet-black tomcat that was stalking out of Shadedhope's den, his pelt littered with cobwebs. Rosethorn recognized him as Onyxpelt.

Onyxpelt continued, "What if there just isn't information to give us? What if RiverClan doesn't trust him enough to tell him anything? What if they found out he was a spy?"

Icicles jabbed into Rosethorn's spine. She had seen what Duststar had ordered done to Pearlpaw for spying. What if they did suspect Thorntail? He had been gone for a few sunrises, what if Tawnyleaf didn't believe his story? What if he was dead?

No. No. She had just spoken to StarClan the night before. Thorntail hadn't been in their ranks.

_Yet. _

Smokestar levelly met his dark warrior's gaze. "As I announced while you were receiving treatment for your wounds, if Thorntail does not contact us by sundown tomorrow, we will launch a full-scale attack on RiverClan. But StarClan granted ShadowClan an intellect and craftiness that they chose not to give to other Clans. If at all possible, I would like to use those gifts instead of merely relying on our sharp claws."

Onyxpelt just looked pleased at the thought of attacking RiverClan. "Sundown," he breathed.

Lark turned to Smokestar. "Thorntail's in the Watery-Clan, then?" she asked. "And he's helpin' out ShadowClan now? His kin? Well, if that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever heard!" she purred naively. "But what if something's wrong?"

Smokestar's ear twitched. "Hmm?"

"What if Thorntail can't get away Watery-Clan? Like, what if he's under guard or somethin'? He might have some real juicy piece of prey for us, but can't share it 'cuz he can't leave!"

A few of the ShadowClan cats who had gathered to see Lark let out moans of concern.

"I could go and find him," Lark offered. "None o' you kin go 'cuz of this big war-thing, but I betchya I could search for him. I met little Thorntail before, and I remember his scent just fine. I don't never forget a scent," she added.

Smokestar narrowed his eyes. Rosethorn guessed that despite his affection for this she-cat, he couldn't help but be suspicious. "Why?"

Lark shuffled her paws. "Well, I have a pretty big favor to ask you, Smokestar. I'd rather have to earn it than have it given to me as a gift."

"And what favor would that be, Lark?"

"I'll tell you when I find Thorntail for 'ya," Lark purred. "Then you can tell me if I earned it or not."

Smokestar still looked uncertain. "It'll still be dangerous for you. If RiverClan finds you - "

"Ol' Duststar's their leader, am I right?" Lark cooed. "Well, I've heard all these stories about how he likes himself she-cats. I'm a she-cat. Maybe I could use my wiles on him and win the battle for you without swiping a claw?" She stretched, revealing the entire glory of her ratty, torn tabby pelt. Her eyes glittered, revealing that she understood how ridiculous her words were. "I owe ShadowClan a lot of help," she added. "I want to give somethin' back to 'em."

And sure enough, Lark was soon sent off with a warrior's mission to find Thorntail and gather his information.

ShadowClan had taken one step closer to victory.

And Rosethorn still didn't know how she felt.

* * *

**-sigh- And there we have it. Now, I know it isn't my most interesting of chapters, but it basically sets things up for the future. I figured since I have Thorntail spying on RiverClan, I should actually give him something to spy about. If that makes sense. Hrm. **

**Anyways, while this chapter might not have been the most intriguing, we have some interesting things coming up. Like...a big battle, a leader's death, and the whole truth about Thorntail's mommy! **

**Review and get a Lark plushie! **


	23. Chapter 21

**Enjoy,**

* * *

Tawnyleaf had been more than willing to tell Thorntail whatever it was he wanted.

_"Since you're going to be my deputy soon," she had meowed so trustingly, "it's only right you understand how your future-leader makes her decisions."_

And then she had given him everything. When the patrols were going out, which ones were simply meant to patrol the border, which were meant to find and attack another patrol, which cats were assigned to them – everything.

She had given him everything, but Thorntail couldn't help but feel that he had gotten himself a whole lot of nothing. So Duststar, Tigerflame, and Dustyfoot were going to refresh the scent-markers the next day at dawn. What did that matter?

He didn't think any of his new collection of knowledge would be in anyway useful to Smokestar, but at least he couldn't be accused of not _trying _to betray the home he loved.

Sunhigh had come and gone by the time Thorntail had been able to slip away and begin the journey to ShadowClan territory. As he crept further and further away from the RiverClan camp, he tried to keep his mind merely on where he was placing his paws. Listening to the river roaring from afar, admiring the scenery.

But even so, he kept thinking about how he was drowning. Water was closing in on all sides, and he could do nothing to struggle against the current.

He was going to betray RiverClan, the Clan that had loved him and offered him a safe haven no matter how many times he turned from them, for ShadowClan, led by a cat that had hated him for how he was born, that would always hate him no matter what he did.

Sacrificing love to gain hate.

His mate and partner, Rosethorn was separated from him as well, kept as a hostage by Smokestar to assure that Thorntail made the wrong decision.

And while his outside world closed in against him, even his private thoughts were invaded by Lightsnow.

For the first time, Thorntail was starting to see his dead mother as more than just feelings, more than just a memory. She was no longer merely just an image, but she was starting to take shape, to take form. And the shape was something that Thorntail, despite himself, was finding frightening.

"Thorntail!"

The gray tomcat was still chasing those uncomfortable thoughts from his mind when he heard his name yowled through the air. A jolt of panic dived down his spine. Was it a Clanmate? How would he be able to sneak away from him or her and be able to dip into ShadowClan territory?

But to his pleasant surprise, the cat charging towards him did not carry the scent of RiverClan. The brown tabby pelt was scruffy and ruffled, and the scent was of a distinct rogue, but the cat's eyes were warm and friendly.

He recognized her instantly. He could vaguely recall brushing pelts with her when he was in ShadowClan, and he had no unpleasant memories of her. "Lark!" he greeted, bounding to meet her.

The she-cat stumbled to a halt a fox length away from him, pausing as if to eye him up. Thorntail's pelt prickled as he felt her gaze rake across him. But unlike when he was with Smokestar, where he felt like every thought flickering about him was disapproving, he felt like this she-cat's stare was simply flattering.

"Well, ain't this fine," Lark purred, curling her tail. "Little Thornkit has grown up into a fine warrior. Fine, just fine." She nodded with approval, swiping a pink tongue across her worn jaws. Her yellow eyes glittered like topaz. "I imagine that your daddy looked just like you when he was your age. So noble, so handsome. A warrior," she repeated. "Ain't that fine?"

Thorntail eyed her too. Her brown pelt was speckled with dirt and he imagined ticks, and her ears were torn. "You look good too, Lark."

Lark released a hearty purr. "Mmm hmm. Never fancied you a liar, Thorntail," she mock-scolded. "With you traipsing 'round this here RiverClan territory, you remind me lots of your mommy. Your mother really loved the river. Pity the way she died. She would have been so proud of you."

Thorntail had started to knead his paws against the ground at Lark's 'you remind me lots of your mommy.'

And then everything fell into place. Lark claimed to remember him as a kit. And he could vaguely recall her taking him out of the nursery to play.

A thought occurred to him, and he decided to pounce on it. Thorntail leveled his gaze with Lark. "So am I like my mother?" Lark visibly stiffened, and he felt ants crawl through his fur. But he kept his voice level as he went on. "Maybe that isn't such a good thing. Lightsnow might have been a pretty unconventional warrior."

Lark was licking her chest fur. "Ain't my place to say," she was mumbling to herself. "This just isn't my place."

"Yes, it is," Thorntail pressed. Lightsnow's memory was haunting him, and he knew that if he got the answers he desired --- he _thought_ she would leave him alone. "Lark, you knew me when I was a kit. You were staying in ShadowClan, right? You knew my mother."

Lark started shaking her head. "Yeah, I was stayin' in ShadowClan. Rowanstar, Smokestar's mommy, invited me to stay along for a while after I saved her other kit. But," she asserted, "I'm no ShadowClan cat. I ain't as noble as cats like Smokestar – I don't think I belong in them Clans. But even though might not be a true warrior, I know some secrets are better kept. Oh!" As soon as the confession of knowledge flew out of her mouth, she buried her muzzle in the dust. "Fox dung," she breathed the universal curse word, used by Clan cat and rogue alike.

"Lark," Thorntail meowed gently, "this is my mother. I deserve to know the truth."

"Mmm hmm, you do," Lark agreed. "But from 'yer kin. Not from a rogue like me."

Lark had sewed her jaws shut. Thorntail fought to keep his hackles from rising. He had discovered a cat, out of Smokestar's reach, who knew the truth behind the whirling emotions towards his mother that had been flooding through him, and she wasn't going to tell him anything?

"ShadowClan cats have lied before," he pointed out, struggling to keep his voice from hardening. "They've never told me the truth before, why should they start?"

As he spoke, it occurred to him that a lot of the ShadowClan cats might have been as genuinely confused as he was. Sapphirepaw didn't even know that Graywhisker had died.

When Lark didn't answer, Thorntail decided to hunt for smaller prey. "Lark, I've been told that my mother got ill and died when I was a kit. I don't even know what illness it was."

The rogue flinched. She still wouldn't meet his gaze. "I guess that ain't a big secret," she mumbled. "Lightsnow died of greencough."

Thorntail narrowed his eyes. "Did she?"

"Mmm hmm. Greencough when you was just a kit."

"Huh," Thorntail kept his pointed gaze on the rogue. "That's weird. Greencough is highly contagious to kits, yet I remember seeing her even when she was confined to camp because of her illness. Why did they let Graywhisker and I play with our mother if she was contagious?"

Lark crouched low to the ground, as though she had dodged a swipe of his paw. To herself, she muttered "Oh, dear me. I don't wanna have to tell him this… Now," she added in a stronger tone, "I-I don't want to say nothing bad about Lightsnow. She was a good cat. Smokestar had a lot of reasons to love her. I always sort of wished that I were like her too… She was beautiful, and kind, and loving. But she had flaws. We all got flaws. _My_ mother always told me that there ain't no such thing as a perfect cat."

Thorntail stood rigid as he listened to Lark's rambling, ignoring his heart pounding in his chest.

Lark's tone was controlled as she continued.

"And Smokestar is a good cat, too. Best one I ever met. And I met a lot of toms, a lot of everyone. He's the best, no doubt. So don't you go thinking he did anything wrong," she pointed at Thorntail accusatorily with her tail. "He struggled a lot with whether or not he should have Lightsnow exiled, or even have her killed. Finally he decided to have her confined to the camp while he figured everythin' out. He – he always loved _her_, Thorntail. No matter what she did." She was looking at something far away.

Thorntail pricked his ears. "Exiled? Killed?" he echoed. He remembered the water crushing against his chest, his mother's paws holding him down. He refused to accept Lark's accusation, and instead invented one of his own. _Smokestar was going to do that to her just because she had kits with Graythorn? _

It was easier to just hate Smokestar.

Lark met his burning gaze unflinchingly. "Your mother tried to kill you."

_Flailing his paws, tearing his jaws open in a yowl only to have his lungs flood with water, flailing, flailing, unable to tear free of the cat's grip – _

It had been like staring at a frightening figure consumed by the darkness of night. He had been dutifully taught that after the light regained its power, the figure would never be as scary as he originally thought. The skeleton transformed into a bare tree, the hound turned into a boulder.

But when the sun rose, instead of a boulder he saw a monster; instead of a bare tree he saw a colony of serpents. The reality was more terrifying than the imagined.

Lark swept on, with the ferocity of a cat who knew that they had already leaped off of the cliff and wanted their fall to be as quick as possible. "Lightsnow was never sick. What you remember is merely her confinement. That was why she wasn't allowed to leave the camp, that was why she wasn't allowed to be alone with you in the nursery."

Thorntail could only tear one word from his throat. "Why?"

Lark had once again pressed herself to the earth. She had the look of cornered prey. "Thorntail, I was just a visitor to ShadowClan. I- I was a close friend of Smokestar's, but I don't know much about them details."

Thorntail was staring at the air where Lark's head had just occupied. "Why?" he repeated. "Lark, did --- what was wrong? What sort of queen tries to kill her kits?"

Lark snapped back to her full height at those words. "Nuh-uh. I gotta say this on behalf of yer mother's honor: she had reasons for what she did. That pretty little thing Lightsnow never had any hatred for you nor Graykit none.

"That was part of the reason Smokestar didn't send her away. Didn't tell any of his other Clanmates 'bout it, neither. Just me, the herb-makin' cat. No one else needed ta know, neither. 'Cuz Lightsnow only did what she done 'cuz she loved 'ya."

_"Loved us?!" _The words sprung from Thorntail's throat louder and more forceful than he intended.

"Loved," Lark repeated, her words as calm as Thorntail's were strained. "She loved you two kits more than anythin' else in creation. It was just…" The brown tabby was struggling for words, her tail whirling through the air as she searched her vocabulary. "It was jist that Lightsnow had a violent temper. Spirit of a warrior, I 'spose. I know that them young training cats were frightened of her. But her tongue was sharper than her claws. She was actually very sensitive and delicate." She shook her head. "But we didn't find that out 'till the end."

The earth was spinning beneath his paws, but Thorntail had finally regained control of his wits. And his thoughts spun. His mother hadn't been sick. And she was so delicate, and sensitive. A lot like---

_Graywhisker. _

He knew then.

"How did my mother die?"

Lark crawled back into her shell. Her ears were flat against her head, and her eyes were darting about as if searching for an escape. "This ain't right fer me to say," she chanted.

Thorntail was shaking his head, already knowing the answer. "Don't tell me…" he murmured.

Lark caught his gaze and read it the way medicine cats read the stars. "Yes, Thorntail. Your mother took her own life."

Thorntail had predicted the words before Lark had said them, and had blocked them from his mind before an emotional response would appear.

"I found the body," Lark continued, her eyes rolling back into her head as she remembered. A shudder was visibly sweeping through her body. "I had been curious 'bout some herbs that I thought might help me when I left, and went into the healer's den ta ask. Your mother was curled up so neatly and comfortably in a nest that I thought she was just sleeping.

"And then I saw that her mouth was coated with red juice. I-I thought that it was blood, at first. But," Lark was shaking her head, refusing to accept her own words, "but now I wish it was. She had found some of old Shadedhope's deathberries. She had eaten every last one of 'em.

"I called for Smokestar. He was there in the beat of a heart but – but it was too late. He-he tried to help," her voice shook, "and he called for Shadedhope, and I watched as she tried. But she knew, I think, that it was too late. Lightsnow had gone to be with that Clan in the sky. But Smokestar kept trying even after Shaedhope gave up. He prayed and prayed, and he tried and tried. I helped him lick her fur the wrong way, hoping that maybe that would make her start breathin'. Make a heartbeat. But - " Lark looked helplessly at him, "but it was already too late. Her pelt was cold, and I think even Smokestar knew that she was gone, too. In the end, we had to give up. Smokestar buried his muzzle into her side, and kept cryin' for that StarClan to send her back. I heard him promise that he'd do anything if he had her back, and I heard him…" Lark hesitated, "I heard him say he was sorry fer a lot of things that it wasn't right for me to hear him say sorry for. I left him alone, then.

"It wasn't right for me 'ta stay as long as I did, I know. Shadedhope had left the moment Smokestar had started to panic. But I had never seen a tom love someone so much. Smokestar had been good to me, better than any other cat has ever treated me. I wanted him to be happy, and I wanted to help him, if I could. If I could have gone in Lightsnow's place, I would've. She had a lot to live for. A tomcat that loved her a lot, and two kits needin' her. I didn't have anythin' like that, and no tom could ever love me that way Smokestar loved Lightsnow. And I don't think Smokestar could ever love a cat the way he loved Lightsnow ever again, either."

Lark's yellow eyes were brimming with such pain as she detailed the story that it was almost as if she was telling him about her own mate's death.

Thorntail wished he could decipher his own feelings as easily. Sympathy for Smokestar was bubbling up within him, fighting viciously with the stark contrast of his loathing for him. The warm, loving memories he had of Lightsnow were darkened by her abandonment.

Thorntail had dug his claws into the earth beneath his paws.

The sun was sinking.

"Why did my mother have to die?" he asked more to himself than to Lark, his voice a soft mew. "Why did she try to kill us?"

A raw nerve was punctured, and guilt was welling up inside him, choking him. All the blame he had felt for Graywhisker's death was rekindling into responsibility for Lightsnow's.

"Did she regret it?" he mewed to Lark, his voice taking a panicked tilt. "Did she regret having us? You do know," he calmed his tone, "that Graywhisker and I aren't Smokestar's real kits, right?"

Lark was silent, but her eyes said more than words ever could.

Thorntail continued, his voice no longer betraying his inner turmoil. "Is the fact that my mother committed suicide --- is it all my and Graywhisker's fault? If we had never been born - "

"No!" Lark cut him off with a fiery snarl. "No," she repeated, softer now. "No, your momma didn't regret havin' you two kits at all. I ain't no healer, but I've had kits myself. She loved you more than anythin' in creation," she reminded him. "It was because of you and Graywhisker that she wanted 'ta keep on living. You're why she lived as long as she did!"

"…Then why did she kill herself?"

Lark hesitated. "One of the reasons Smokestar asked me 'ta stay so long even after his brother I saved and Rowanstar, who had invited me in the first place, were both dead, was 'cuz he was worried about Lightsnow. He didn't want any of his Clanmates 'ta think that there was somethin' wrong with his mate, so he asked me to watch her a bit. Make sure she was okay. He had already done so much for me, what with him letting me sleep in his home and eat his Clan's prey, I didn't mind.

"See, Smokestar was worried 'cause the way your mother acted towards you and 'yer brother was not normal. He was thinkin' that Lightsnow was too attached to her young 'uns. At first I thought he just was jealous of his kits, the way some toms get, but I watched her a bit anyway.

"Smokestar was right," Lark sighed with a shake of her head. "He's a smart cat, him. Your mother loved you and that Graywhisker more than life itself."

_If you die, Mommy's going to die too. _ Lightsnow's words were summoned from Thorntail's memory.

"Too much love can lead to tragedy. For everyone." She paused.

"What?" he pressed.

Lark glanced at him, then at her paws. "There was one time when you and Graywhisker was real tiny, that there was a big battle with this here AirClan or somethin'." Thorntail knew she meant WindClan. Under Runningstar's leadership, before nearly his Clan's whole population was slaughtered, they were formidable opponents and very aggressive. "They came into the camp, flashing their claws and stirring up trouble. Lightsnow, she grabbed you and Graywhisker up and fled."

She paused again, her yellow eyes cloudy. This time, Thorntail waited patiently for her to gather up enough courage to tell him the rest.

"Once them AirClan cats ran back to the rock they crawled out from under, we had to find Lightsnow. I hadn't fought as much as some cats 'cuz I was out of camp when the fight started, so I wasn't as tired. 'Cuz of that, I went lookin' for her. I tracked her down south, where that one ThunderClan lives.

"I saw you and Graywhisker, but I didn't see yer mother. But I did see that one of them tiny trainin' cats from ThunderClan had crossed the border and was speakin' to you two. Maybe the thing had seen two kits alone and came to see what was the matter. Thorntail, you came right up to that enemy cat, puffed out your chest, and told her that you was the son of ShadowClan's leader, and you didn't need her help none. Told her that she had to get out of your territory before you got her. And she was twice your size, too," Lark added, her eyes sparkling. They darkened as she continued.

"Graywhisker, he was upset. He was terrified of the big cat, and was mewling for his mother. I started for them, but… Oh, Thorntail, Lightsnow was faster."

Thorntail took a breath.

"I don't know where she was before, maybe scoutin' or dirt makin', but she reappeared mighty fast. And Lightsnow clamped her jaws into that ThunderClan cat's throat. The blood – Oh, Thorntail. The blood squirted out, all over her chest, and that poor young ThunderClanner was dead. I got worried for you young ones, so I came over and tried to block her from you two. Graywhisker was even more afraid than ever, and I heard his frightened mewls behind me. Lightsnow ordered me away. She looked so – Thorntail, you're too young to remember, but her eyes, they was _terrifying_!

"She kept telling me to get away from her kits. I didn't know what to do. She was gonna come at me like she did that ThunderClan cat, I knew that. But I wasn't sure what she was gonna do to you and Graywhisker. Smokestar came, then.

"Smokestar and a whole patrol. I still don't know what would have happened if he didn't come. If Lightsnow came at me, I would've met her and… I ain't no warrior, Thorntail. She was. But I was afraid for you kits. I didn't figure then that she was just protectin' you. I thought that she had killed that one ThunderClan cat, and she was gonna kill you two, too." Lark shook herself. "I never was more afraid in my life."

A cold, vicious chill clung to Thorntail's fur. His mother had killed a ThunderClan apprentice? Because she wanted to protect him and Graywhisker? But according to Lark, the apprentice had just been curious.

The thought that it might have been Rosethorn's kin that had died for him made a taste as vile as mouse bile grasp his tongue with sharp claws.

Lark had said he was too young to remember, but she was wrong. He couldn't remember the battle, and he couldn't remember the cat he had spoken too, but he could remember the blood on Lightsnow's fur. He could still smell the blood.

Lark continued, her eyes shadowed and her countenance haunted. "Smokestar later took me and Lightsnow aside to find out what happened. After I told him, he raged at Lightsnow. I had never seen him more angry. His fur was bristling, and his claws were unsheathed, and he roared like one of them lions at her. He was growlin' at her. He growled, '_What in the name of StarClan were you thinking? Attacking and killing another Clan's apprentice? Right in front of the kits_!_?_'

"But 'yer mother, she wasn't bothered none. She just went on grooming herself, like she was licking his words off of her pelt. '_That ThunderClan apprentice was threatening Graykit_,' she said. '_As their mother, it was my duty to protect him._'

"The more your mother spoke, the more helpless Smokestar was becomin'. _Lark said that the apprentice was just talking to them_!' Smokestar snarled. '_There was no reason to kill her.'_

"Smokestar was shakin' like the last leaf on the tree in leaf-bare. I didn't know if it was 'cuz he was so angry at her, or 'cuz he was just horrified by what she done. He went on when yer mother didn't respond. He said, '_Did you see how frightened Graykit was? To make a small kit go through seeing another young cat senselessly _slaughtered_ by his own mother?_'

"Lightsnow paused from her bath, her gaze cloudin' as she stared lovingly into the distance. '_My kits know I love them_,' she said.

"Smokestar just stared at her. Finally, he was able to choke, '_Your love is killing them, Lightsnow_.' He swept on before Lightsnow could respond. '_That poor apprentice was the first cat that Thornkit and Graykit have been able to speak to besides you and me. They're already two moons old, but you've completely sheltered them, hardly refusing to leave their side, hardly willing to let anyone else near them. Do you-_' he was speaking so quickly and angry now that he had to pause and slow down, or else he likely wouldn't have been heard none. '_How are they going to form a bond with their Clanmates?_ _What's their apprenticeship going to be like? Their warriorhood? Do you have any idea what you're doing to them?'"_

"No matter what Smokestar said, yer mother just went on with her groomin'. She looked so contented, almost bored. Like she knew what she was doin', knew she was right, and didn't have to listen 'ta a thing her leader said. Finally, she did meet his eyes with her own. '_Those are _my_ kits,_' she snarled. '_I don't need_ your_ advice_.'

"Neither I nor Smokestar understood what she meant by that. He thought for a beat before he went, '_Maybe it would be best if Graykit and Thornkit were looked after by Spiritheart or one of the other queens for a while_.'

"That, that there got Lightsnow's attention. She had been washing her back, but the moment Smokestar said them words, she swung her head back to him, as stiffly as a corpse tryin' 'ta move. I was sitting beside Smokestar, and I got 'ta see her eyes. Them eyes of hers were murderous. They frightened me.

"Smokestar was worried too, but not for the same reasons I was. He tried to soothe her. He goes, "_'I'm not saying it's permanent. But I've spoken to Shadedhope and we both agree that you may be a little too attached to the kits. It might be better for everyone involved if_-'

"Lightsnow cut him off, her hackles risen and her voice panicked and wild. '_You're going to take my kits away from me?!_' she shrieked. When Smokestar didn't say nothin', she just flew into a rage that I hadn't seen before and haven't seen since. She growls, '_Oh, so you think you can do whatever you want, now that your Clan leader and mommy's gone_?!' Rowanstar, yer grandmommy, was Clan leader before Smokestar.

"Hearing his mother's death and his rank used as an insult really stung him, and he was still recoverin' when Lightsnow went on, each word more pointed than the one before. "_'You're trying to get back at me by taking my kits away! But I won't let you do whatever you want!_"' She had risen, and started to shoulder her way past me. '_I'll take Graykit and Thornkit and go home to RiverClan! Duststar loves me, he'll accept me, he'll_ - "

"'Smokestar wasn't havin' none of that. Even as she spoke he looked helplessly at her, shaking his head at every sound she made. '_No_,' he meowed to her plaintively, '_Lightsnow, you're not fit to mother them right now_.' Every word hurt him, I know that now, but he was able to look and sound so regal and serene through it all."

"But the calmer Smokestar was, the wilder Lightsnow grew. She stopped in her tracks, her fur bristling. When she whirled back towards 'yer father, I noticed that her claws were unsheathed. '_And you think you're 'fit' to be their father?_' she sneered, curling her upper lip to reveal her bloodstained fangs. Smokestar was still tryin' to figure out what she meant when Lightsnow tore on, her crazed eyes glittering with delight as she clawed into him one last time, probably hoping this final remark would free her.

"She _yowled_ it, Thorntail. And I don't mean that she yowled like some she-cats often do when they get mad at their mates, I mean that this --- it was pure spiteful rage being unleashed through her voice.

"'_Thornkit and Graykit are _Graythorn's_ kits! Your dead brother Graythorn!_'

"Smokestar would later tell me that hearing the news was like having a cat kick him hard in the underbelly. And I kin believe that, because he stumbled backwards and gasped for breath as if the wind had been knocked out of him.

"He stood still as stone for a long time, and Lightsnow hurried past him. I betcha it was like dyin', knowing for sure that the kits you thought you fathered ain't yers. But StarClan, they had given him nine lives, and he recovered. He squared his shoulders, and swung towards her, his tail lashing. 'Side from that lashin' tail, it was hard to tell he was angry. He looked as calm and controlled as ever.

"_'Fine then_. _Go ahead._ _Leave if you want to, Lightsnow._' he meowed, and Lightsnow, still thinking she won didn't break stride. But Smokestar continued. '_But I will _not_ allow you to take the kits.'"_

_ "_Lightsnow whirled towards him, and now her face was smeared with panic instead of victory. '_What?_' she shrieked, her claws swiping through the air at nothing. '_No- don't be ridiculous. I'm their mother. I had them, they're mine_!'

"Smokestar spoke as if she hadn't. '_Those kits are my kin, and what's more, they are ShadowClan. StarClan gave me guardianship of this Clan and every single cat in it, from the oldest elder to the youngest kit. Graykit and Thornkit _will_ stay here. And if you take them, I promise you_,' he curled his lips into the beginning of a snarl, '_I will hunt you down. Those kits are ShadowClan, and myself or any of my warriors would _kill_ for them_.'

"I left, then. I had realized that I had stayed far longer than I should have but… Well, like I said, every cat has flaws. One of mine is that I stay in places I shouldn't.

"And I didn't see what happened next. But, Smokestar, he told me that he had gone out hunting that night to clear his head. 'Spose he was under a lot of stress, after the battle, and finding out that his sons weren't his sons. He had been tracking somethin' when he heard a kit yowling. He didn't know which one it was, but he thought it sounded like either you or Graywhisker.

"So, he followed the sound and - " for the first time during Lark's tale, she struggled to continue. "And he saw your mother standin' in that stream that runs through ShadowClan territory. The one they use to drink from? And your mother, she was starin' at something real intently in the water. She was sayin' things like 'Don't worry, Thornkit, I'm going to be with you soon.'

"Smokestar was confused, at first. He saw Graykit lying on the bank, wailing his head off, but he couldn't see you. Then he realized what was happening. You were under Lightsnow's forepaws, and you was—she was drowning 'ya, Thorntail. And you know your father, Thorntail. He can control himself, he has a very even temper, he does. But he charged right forward, and he swiped his claws across Lightsnow's face, hitting her with such a force that she fell backwards.

"He plucked you from the river Thorntail, and he soothed Graywhisker's fears, and he licked you until your breathing started again.

"After that, Smokestar was torn. He was a newly-named leader of a Clan, his kits weren't his own, and his mate --- she hated him. She hated him as much as he loved her. Even after she confessed to him what she had done, even after he had watched her try to kill the kit he loved as his son, he couldn't bring himself to have her killed, or exiled. He didn't even want to tell any cat what she did, to protect her. Only Shadedhope, his healer, and me his…_friend. _He told his Clan just what he told you: that Lightsnow was sick, and wasn't permitted to leave the camp. You could only see her when the medicine cat said you could. That way, he was able to protect Lightsnow, and the kits.

"But it broke my heart. You could smell Lightsnow's hate for Smokestar whenever she laid eyes on him. She proclaimed that Smokestar was cold, and evil like a chant. All Smokestar said was that your mother was sick." Lark looked at her paws. "Maybe he was right, but not in the way his Clanmates thought."

Thorntail stared up at the dimming sky. His mother had tried to kill him. And then, when she diligently taught him that Smokestar was cruel, the way other queens taught their kits legends and morals, he believed her.

Even into adulthood, he had believed her. He had no evidence other than her words, other than his perceptions. Smokestar hadn't ever acted vindictive or purely spiteful towards him. That wasn't even in his nature.

Smokestar had saved his life, and he hated him.

Even knowing the truth, Thorntail was having trouble releasing the hate. It was a natural inclination, just as he hated badgers and foxes. An instinct, a feeling that had to be fought.

"What made my mother like that?" he asked Lark. "What made her want to kill me and Graywhisker? I-I don't get it."

"Me neither," Lark shook her head. "I don't really get whys cats do a lot of things. But I guess…" she looked thoughtful. "Well, she lost the cat she loved most. And she had betrayed the cat that loved her most to be with him. She was in a diff'rent Clan than she was birthed to, away from any kin or friends she could count on. She could only depend on herself. And she thought…she really thought that Smokestar would hurt her kits. But she couldn't leave, 'cuz Smokestar had promised her that he'd go after her, and have her killed. Then she wouldn't be able to protect 'ya at all.

"And this don't happen in the Clans, but loner she-cats, sometimes if they can't look after their young, they kill them themselves. Your mommy felt 'dat she couldn't protect you from Smokestar, so she was going to save you the only way she knew how. If you went to StarClan, Smokestar couldn't harm you."

"But what gave her that idea?" Thorntail mused. "Smokestar never harmed me or Graywhisker. Why did she think she was in such danger?"

Lark sighed. "That has lots to do with Rowanstar. Smokestar and Graythorn's mother."

Thorntail pricked his ears. Rowanstar had died just a little after he and Graywhisker had been born. He had no recollection of her at all. He supposed since cats in all Clans claimed that Smokestar was one of the finest ShadowClan leaders in seasons, she must have been pretty ruthless, but beyond that, he could make no conjecture about her.

"Smokestar was very stressed," Lark was meowing, "'cuz of everything. Becoming Clan leader, two sons, Lightsnow, and everythin'. He took to talkin' to me since I wasn't gonna stay long and he knew it. He could talk to me an' never have to worry about what he said comin' back to haunt him in seasons 'ta come." She glanced at Thorntail, and snorted at the irony.

"But like I said," she went on, "no cat is without flaws. And while Smokestar's aren't as easy to notice, he's got 'em. I found out during our talks that… Well, Thorntail. Smokestar ain't perfect.

"Darkness exists inside him, too."

_

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_

**-waves- Hiya. Now, this is fast. Really. I think I'm doing a good job at updating.**

**A few notes:**

**I know some of you are raising an eyebrow, and thinking 'What a bunch of bull! Lark knows EVERYTHING and we just met her last chapter! Roxie, you unforeshadowing ham!"**

**Mmm. Well, I really am just a lazy ham. In my notes, Thorntail asks the medicine cat Shadedhope about everything. The thing is, though, I would have to get him to ShadowClan so he could address her. And that's harder than you think. I could have done it, but it would have taken 2 or more pages of filler crap to keep everyone IC. At the same time, I had established in the last chapter that Lark was coming to meet Thorntail, and I did sort of say she was in ShadowClan before. Plus, a few reviewers seemed to like her, unlike Shadedhope, who, while it would make more sense for her to tell the story, we don't know as well. **

**So, I apologize if it seems unrealistic and sloppy. I made a decision off the cuff, and I hope it turned out well. **

**Oh, I'd like to thank all my reviewers for the last chapter a lot! I hope everyone keeps reading. Please tell me what you liked so I can keep doing that, and disliked so I can stop doing that! Review and get a -pause- Lightsnow plush. I know I've given her out before, but this one is bloodstained and has kit-drowning action! Seriously. How cool is 'dat? **

**--- Oh, I know you want me to shut up but I have to make a recommendation. There's a Norwegian horror movie called Dead Snow that I watched last night. It is the most hilarious thing of all time. It has Nazi Zombies. 'Nuff said. **


	24. Chapter 22

**Enjoy,**

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Rosethorn dabbed at the earth in front of her, making certain that the land wasn't going to pull her inside of it before she tentatively placed her paws forward. After all the stories Sapphirepaw had told her about ShadowClan's treacherous land and how many warriors the marsh had claimed, she wasn't taking any chances.

The former medicine cat of ThunderClan didn't know how ridiculous she looked until she heard a purr rumble from behind her.

She swirled around to see a small ShadowClan patrol. She recognized the cats Snowheart and the newly named Patchfoot behind Smokestar. The leader's face was still amused as Snowheart and Patchfoot crept onward, leaving him alone with Rosethorn.

"Trying to teach yourself the territory, then?" Smokestar asked, taking a step towards her.

"Oh, y-yes," she finally conjured up a response, struggling unsuccessfully to keep her voice steady. Embarrassment washed through her. "I didn't want to sink."

The ShadowClan leader's whiskers twitched with delight. "I had this same conversation with Graywhisker a few seasons ago," he meowed wistfully.

Graywhisker's name made Rosethorn's blood run cold, but she managed to keep her expression passive.

Smokestar went on, his tail-tip swirling as he reminisced. "He probably got that from his mother. She was always so concerned about safety. He was a lot like her." His tone had grown dark.

"So is Thorntail more like his father then?" The words had tripped off of Rosethorn's tongue unbidden, and were followed swiftly by surge of guilt. She flattened her ears against her head and instinctively pulled back. She had just bluntly reminded the ShadowClan leader that his only claim on Thorntail was as a nephew. Reminded him that Thorntail would always belong to another cat.

Smokestar hesitated. But when he spoke, his voice was even, unburdened by a seasoned grudge. "Thorntail is _exactly_ like his father."

Rosethorn blinked. To her, Thorntail had always seemed so unique. It was hard to fathom another cat who was like him. Another cat who not only had his rebellious nature, but his loyalty, who had his pride but his humility – who was such a perfect contradiction. A tom who was perfect.

"What was Graythorn like?" Smokestar stiffened, and Rosethorn shot her gaze to her paws. "If you don't mind. I-I don't actually know anything about Thorntail's kin except for you and Graywhisker, and… I'd like to know where he came from."

Her words were met with silence. Her blue gaze was still on her paws, but she could imagine Smokestar's tail-tip twitching as he debated with himself.

Finally, Smokestar spoke. As he thought back, his words were calm, and colored with reflection. But Rosethorn detected no nostalgia.

"Graythorn was a poor warrior," Smokestar began. "He could fight tooth and claw as well as any cat, but from the very beginning he had the disposition of a rogue. He had no respect for Clan boundaries, no respect for the Warrior Code, and no respect for tradition. And this," he added, "was before the forest got into the state of things it is now. The Warrior Code was held in much higher esteem. Our own mother was Clan leader at the time of his birth, our father a ShadowClan warrior. No cat paved the way for him to get these ideas of disrespect. He got them all on his own."

Rosethorn had lifted her gaze to meet Smokestar's, but the leader had turned his head and was staring at something far away.

"A good leader would see that these are poor qualities in a warrior, and try to weed them out swiftly and efficiently. They would punish this warrior until he conformed to something that ShadowClan could be proud of. Rowanstar – our mother – she would have done that. She was strict, and dealt with insubordination harshly. If I – if _anyone_ – had behaved like Graythorn, she wouldn't have them merely punished. She would have had them _broken_.

"But Graythorn wasn't any cat. Rowanstar had become a queen very late in her last life, and it had been a miracle that she had been able to…been able to have any more kits," Smokestar's voice was laced with regret. "When Graythorn was born, it was obvious Rowanstar would never be able to have anymore children. StarClan had gifted her one more son."

There was an undercurrent of bitterness that almost made Rosethorn scrunch up her face with distaste. But her confusion overwhelmed her. What would Smokestar have to be bitter about here? Was he upset that Graythorn had even been born?

"And so, Rowanstar allowed him to do whatever he wanted. As I said, he lived his life in such a way that he was more of a rogue who sometimes slept in the warrior's den than an actual warrior. He didn't like being cramped inside our territorial boundaries, and was always poking around where he didn't belong. He knew the moors as well as any WindClan cat, could hunt fish as well as any RiverClan, and could stalk the undergrowth like ThunderClan. He told me once that he had even explored lands that Clans didn't have a claim in.

"But through it all, he was still very popular. Wherever he was, a cheerful air and the purrs of his company surrounded him. He was loved by everyone who knew him, no matter what he did. That affection, the unconditional love – that was something I could never have, no matter how hard I'd try…" he trailed off, his tail almost falling to the earth before he caught it.

He went on, "Thorntail's mother, Lightsnow, thought I hated Graythorn for that. She thought that because I was so jealous of him, I'd try to hurt the kits he'd left behind." Smokestar shopped short, like a cat had clawed his statements in half.

Rosethorn's gaze was locked onto Smokestar, refusing to be torn off of his pelt. Smokestar had been nothing but kind to her and Thorntail. He had led her to StarClan, saved her from Flamesoul, and had welcomed her into his home. Now, looking at the ShadowClan leader, although he was well muscled and healthy, she had trouble seeing anything threatening. He was powerful, but it was hard to imagine him digging his long claws into anyone.

But Thorntail had told her that Smokestar was cruel, and that she shouldn't trust him. But seeing him now, almost broken himself, she could almost yowl in sympathy for him.

And more than all that, she couldn't deny that she felt _safe_ with him. And it had been awhile since she had felt truly safe with any other cat besides Thorntail.

He reminded her of her father.

"Well," she meowed carefully, "that's not true, is it? She was wrong. You wouldn't have hurt them, right?"

She had expected Smokestar to brush the subject away swiftly. To shout indignantly that of _course_ Lightsnow was wrong, that he wouldn't even_ conceive_ of hurting kits, let alone his own _kin_.

But he didn't.

Instead, Smokestar stood rooted to the ground, for once, not even the tip of his tail flickering. His green eyes were clouded.

A sigh preceded his words. "I don't know."

Once before, a cat had responded to her pointed question with ambiguity. Rosethorn and the RiverClan warrior Owlpelt had been investigating Graywhisker's death, and to find out the truth, she had quite bluntly approached Thorntail and asked him if he had murdered his brother. She trusted Thorntail, and if he had told her that he was free of blame, she wouldn't have asked him again.

Thorntail had responded 'probably.' He had probably killed Graywhisker, but he wasn't certain.

Then, Rosethorn had been enflamed with a burning ember of horror. To not know something that seemed so obvious, and so clear. To not know for sure whether or not a cat had died by your claws.

That had been moons ago. Since then, she had found out the whole truth. She knew that sometimes things weren't so clear-cut as 'yes' or 'no'. She thought she had grown up, at least enough to understand that. To understand and appreciate hideous honesty rather than a pretty lie.

But she hadn't. Just like it had when she heard Thorntail's response, a bile of horror rose up from the back of Rosethorn's throat the moment Smokestar uttered the words. .

He didn't know. He didn't know if he would've hurt Thorntail and Graywhisker, if Lightsnow hadn't been there to protect them.

He didn't know if he would've hurt two innocent kits. He didn't know if he would have harmed two innocent kits that were his kin.

He might've.

Rosethorn was rigid, but Smokestar was shaking his head. "I-I _don't know_," he repeated, a sudden panic straining his words.

"I was named Graythorn's mentor when he reached his sixth moon," Smokestar explained, regaining some of his composure. "Later, I sent him on a hunting assessment. I followed him to judge how his skills were.

"As you know, this territory can sometimes be dangerous even for cats who know it well. I don't know exactly what happened. But Graythorn stumbled over a low branch or something of the sort, and ended up sinking into the bog.

"I watched as he tried to climb out and failed. I watched as he squirmed and fought to free himself. I watched him sink deeper and deeper underneath the earth. I heard him cry out to me, '_Brother! Brother, come save me!_' But his words soon grew garbled as the swamp seeped into his mouth…

"And through it all, I just stood there. I didn't move to save him. It would have been simple. I would have just had to reach in and pluck him out. But I didn't. I watched my brother, my own apprentice, dying, and I didn't do anything to save him." Smokestar stopped, staring blankly ahead as though he saw Graythorn's disappearing form right before him.

"As you know," Smokestar finally went on, "Lark happened to be nearby. She heard his yowls and she rescued him. By that point, Graythorn had almost sunk completely under the marsh, and it was too late to merely stretch your neck, grab him by the scruff, and carry him out. Lark_ dove _in after him and _dragged_ him out. She risked her life to save a cat she didn't even know. Because of her heroism, Graythorn escaped with his life."

At this point, the distress was painted across his face and coloring his voice. "Rowanstar eventually found out about my negligence. She didn't trust me with Graythorn any longer. She gave him to someone else to mentor. She was furious at me." Smokestar's face grew haunted. "She called me a heartless beast who could just watch my brother die."

Smokestar's eyes fell to the ground, his voice shrinking to a hardly discernable mew. "I had no intention of watching Graythorn die. I didn't want him _dead_. I don't know why I just sat there." He peered up, digging his gaze into Rosethorn's, not flinching from the repulsion that he must have seen reflected back at him. "That's something I haven't come to terms with."

Rosethorn stood solemn, the only movement being her ruffling fur as a cold wind rushed down her spine.

ShadowClan's cold north winds. She hadn't ever truly felt them before.

Her mind was void of any coherent thought besides, _Smokestar almost…watched his brother die… _

She could picture a young gray cat yowling for his big brother, for his mentor to rescue him. She could see the young cat sink further into the swamp, gasping for breath, maybe even knowing that his own brother betrayed him so.

_What if Lark hadn't come?_

"Whether or not I hated Graythorn," Smokestar spoke up, staring helplessly at her, "and whether or not I wished ill on the kits he left behind – that's a question I can't answer."

…

Thorntail's paws were heavy as though he had been walking for moons, although he stood rigid before Lark as she revealed who he was.

"Graythorn could do whatever he liked, but Smokestar couldn't. Smokestar had 'ta be a good warrior, 'ta stay in line – to be even better and nobler then the rest of them. He was going to be ShadowClan leader next, Rowanstar decided, so he had to go through even more trainin' then the rest of the warriors. He was taught how 'ta lead, and plot and all that other stuff." The brown tabby shrugged. "Meanwhile, Graythorn got to have fun.

"Smokestar was always envious of Graythorn, I think. Envious of that freedom. Persn'olly, I think that's why he started padding after Lightsnow. He wanted to try what it was like to break that code himself, for once. He just couldn't do it right. Graythorn could bop from cat to cat and never shed no care for her, but Smokestar fell in love.

"Anyways, Lightsnow noticed. She noticed 'dat Smokestar was mighty jealous. So, she thought that it wasn't possible for Smokestar not to hate Graythorn's kits. But even when she found out she was going to have kits she didn't run. She coulda gone to this here Watery Clan. 'Parently that's where she came from, and her daddy, Duststar, loved her a lot. But at the time, she didn't think she had to. Rowanstar was leader, and she and 'yer mommy were really close. She figured that even if Smokestar found out the kits weren't his, Rowanstar would protect her…." She trailed off.

Thorntail, with a bitterness crawling through him, finished the story for her. "But Rowanstar died, and then Smokestar became leader. By then it was too late to escape. Lightsnow had lost her protector, and grew panicked. Then, one thing led to another, and she killed herself, leaving Graywhisker and me all alone with a cat she thought would stop at nothing to harm us." He fixed his gaze onto the startled Lark. "Is that about right?"

Lark's eyes were wide and round with shock. When she recovered, her fur bristled so that she looked twice her size. "Don't say nothin' bad about yer mother!" she scolded. "She bought 'ya into this forest. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't be here to hate 'er! It was just," Lark added, the fur on her shoulders lying flat, "it was just that she really thought that Smokestar hated his brother so much."

"So he_ didn't _hate my father?" Thorntail asked. "He was envious of him, but he didn't hold a grudge?"

Lark's answer was tentative. "I don't know how Smokestar felt about his brother," she answered carefully. "Smokestar has a way of hidin' his feelings. But there are some things 'ya can't hide. And," Lark locked her gaze with Thorntail's. "And he couldn't hide his feelings for you and Graywhisker. He loved you. Even if he don't know it, even if you don't know it,_ I_ know it. I know him."

"You know it," Thorntail echoed. "He couldn't hide it. His feelings were too strong." He met Lark's gaze unflinchingly. "Were they strong enough for my mother to believe?"

His voice was aggressive and he regretted it. But it was so simple, so practiced for him to pick at Smokestar's faults. Because Lightsnow had told him – she had curled up around her two sons, and she had told them about how cruel Smokestar was. She had told him he was evil, that he was untrustworthy, and that one day he would harm them.

He could hear her soft, melodious voice now. See her kind, loving face as she fed him a horror story he was to be a victim in. It was his oldest memory.

He had expected Lark to react with anger at his unnecessary jab at Smokestar. She clearly had strong feelings for Smokestar – she had just said that sometimes certain feelings couldn't be hidden. Hers were clear.

Instead, she looked morose. Her dirty pelt looked rattier, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She looked at Thorntail with appeal in her yellow eyes. "Do you know," she mewed, her voice mellow and quiet, "why Smokestar loves you so much?" She went on. "He acted like someone with a mouse's mind the way he tried 'ta get you back from RiverClan – when he had done sent you to 'dem in the first place! And he always welcomed you back home, and he always made sure you were okay, no matter what. You know why he cares so much for his brother's kit?"

The answer was obvious. Smokestar had told him so himself.

"His mother and father are dead. He's never had any other siblings. Graythorn was his closest kin. Now I am. And I'm all that's left."

Lark was shaking her head, denying Thorntail's words even as he uttered them. As soon as he was finished, she meowed, "Don't you find it odd, Thorntail, that he's the leader of a Clan that admires him so much and yet he's never had any more kits 'sides you and Graywhisker? You think it would be hard for him to find a she-cat willin' 'ta be his mate, 'ta stand by his side? He could have his pickings, Thorntail. Any she-cat at all."

It was peculiar, but Thorntail shrugged it off. "Maybe he's still mourning my mother. Or maybe he doesn't trust she-cats anymore after-"

Lark was once again shaking her head no. Thorntail fell to an abrupt halt, and Lark spoke, her voice scarcely above a whisper.

"Smokestar can't father kits." Lark's eyes grew wide and sorrowful, as though she was speaking of cats that he died rather than cats that had never been born. "As much as Smokestar wants them, as much as…some she-cats may want them from him, and as good of a father as he would be ---he _can't_, Thorntail."

Thorntail's jaws dropped into a gape.

Lark swept on. "When Lightsnow done had you and Graywhisker, I think he might've suspected you weren't his. But I think he _hoped_ you were. He liked 'ta think you were his. Liked 'ta think you were little miracles from StarClan. He told me once he named 'ya two after his brother because he had thought that Graythorn might have blessed him from StarClan and removed his curse, but I think it was 'cuz he knew that Graythorn, accidentally, had blessed him while he was still living ShadowClan.

"Lightsnow had had _kits_, Thorntail. Kits mothered by a cat he loved. He so wanted to be a father, and he was going to get to be one – and you were his kin, too. Nobody had to know any different. He loved you, Thorntail. You were like a gift from StarClan. A gift that hurt some, 'cuz of his mate and brother betrayin' him like that, but he got something that he had wanted so much.

"Lightsnow found out, 'ventually. And then… then she understood the pain in Smokestar's heart. Once she released that grudge --- oh, Thorntail, you should have seen her. She was beautiful. Looked like 'dere were stars glitterin' on her pelt, like she was a StarClan warrior comin' to visit. She looked so happy…" Lark's eyes shone.

Then a shadow crossed over them. "…But she was just preparin' to look beautiful for when she visited StarClan. She knew then that Smokestar wasn't gonna hurt you nor Graywhisker none. She knew that she didn't need to protect you."

Smokestar couldn't father kits. Once Lightsnow realized this, she was able to stop hating him. She knew that Smokestar would look at her sons as blessings rather than curses.

And Smokestar had always loved Lightsnow. And she had two young kits looking to her and loving her. Two young kits that needed their mother.

Graywhisker had always been so weak. He had always needed the protection, the _love_ of a mother. He couldn't get it from Lightsnow, so he had looked to Thorntail to save him.

And Thorntail wasn't a mother.

Lightsnow had so many cats relying on her.

"So she killed herself," Thorntail growled. "She knew Smokestar wasn't a threat, so she killed herself. Why?"

Lark opened her mouth to reply, but Thorntail swept on, indignant rage blanketing his words. "Why?" he repeated, his fur bristling and his claws sinking into the earth under his paws. "To be with my father? To be with Graythorn? To be with a cat who was dead? Rather than stay with Smokestar, rather than stay with me, rather than stay with _Graywhisker_, she decided to be with a cat who was dead?!"

"Thorntail…" Lark mewed. It looked like she wanted to say more, but there was nothing she could say. Nothing could change what Lightsnow had done.

The smoldering rage cooled, and an unbearable weight of sorrow fell into Thorntail's shoulders. He allowed his legs to buckle under him.

"So in the end," he raised his eyes to the sky, now blanketed ebony and dotted with silver, "Smokestar and I are actually the same, aren't we?

"In the end, we were all abandoned."

…

"In the end, it would be a lie to say that I carry no grudge against Graythorn," Smokestar meowed.

The ShadowClan leader was sitting on his haunches, his gray pelt ruffled as though he had just returned from a battle. Rosethorn was right next to him, but as he confessed his feelings for Graythorn he refused to meet her eyes.

He went on, "No matter what he did, he was loved. No cat looked at me like they did Graythorn. I was admired, I think, as a model warrior. But I had respect, not love. And I admit, I wanted what Graythorn had.

"So there were times when I prayed from the bottom of my heart that Graythorn would disappear."

_I just wanted Graywhisker to go away, _Thorntail's words echoed in Rosethorn's ears. He had confessed to her how he had grown to hate Graywhisker so much that he told him a secret that he thought his brother wouldn't be able to stomach. Graywhisker had become too burdensome, and Thorntail decided that he wanted Graywhisker dead.

To make Graywhisker go away, Thorntail tried to push him to suicide. He had, in a sense, tried to _murder _him.

Smokestar and Thorntail were kin.

Once again, Rosethorn's winding tongue rose to the challenge without orders. "How did Graythorn die?"

She felt her eyes round, even as the words were still hanging in the air. Before Smokestar could react, Rosethorn blustered, "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean --- I wasn't making an accusation."

Smokestar was unperturbed. He only let out a small, nearly silent chuckle, but his face was controlled when he turned towards her. "Are you implying I may have had something to do with Graythorn's death?" he pressed.

"No! No, no. I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything, I just- "

The leader brushed the idea away with his tail. "As I said, Graythorn lived outside the Warrior Code. He seemed to think that the Code was only there to keep cats from acting how they wanted, to keep everyone from having fun. He misunderstood that it is there for our protection.

"What do you think happens, Rosethorn, to a cat who continually ignores Clan boundaries? Who continually sneers at the Warrior Code? He died, Rosethorn. A WindClan patrol caught him alone in their territory. They killed him.

"He was always prone to vanishing for long periods of time, so we didn't think anything of his absence. WindClan's leader informed us of his death at the following Gathering. They had buried the body themselves. We held a vigil, but more as a formality.

"It was a heavy blow to my mother. Rowanstar blamed herself for his death, and fell into a depression that she would never recover from. It got to the point where, although I was only deputy, I was practically leading the Clan. Rowanstar refused to make any decisions herself.

"Lightsnow was worse. She refused to accept his death. She kept on saying that Graythorn was fine, and that there was a mistake. She kept muttering them to herself; the words almost become a chant. When the truth finally hit her, she erupted into the most pitiable wale you can imagine.

"A little later, she came to me and told me that she was going to have kits. There was little doubt in my mind that those kits were Graythorn's."

Smokestar's words rumbled through the air, and Rosethorn lapped them up like bitter medicine. It was something she had to hear, but didn't want to.

It was so difficult for her to feel powerful hatred for any cat. Lightsnow, while she may have betrayed Smokestar, truly loved Graythorn. She had been willing to leave her home in RiverClan just to be with him.

And Smokestar had merely fallen in love with Lightsnow, and had been used for Lightsnow to be with Graythorn. A love was betrayed for love.

"Then," Smokestar continued, his whole body trembling, the leader no longer able to keep the desperation from seeping into his tone, "I was left with to confront myself. I wondered then…if I could raise the fatherless kits Graythorn left behind. If I could ever love them. At the very least, if I could avoid _hating them_."

A tremor shuddered through the ShadowClan leader, and Rosethorn knew that his confession was causing Smokestar more pain than any enemy's fangs ever would. His claws were unsheathed, but the only adversary there was, was him.

The answers to Smokestar's questions were what were making him suffer so. And they only came from inside.

"Finally," Smokestar managed to choke, "I came to the conclusion. If Graythorn was still alive…or if Lightsnow had truly died of greencough…" His shudders ceased. The great tomcat squared his shoulders and glared forward, acknowledging the demons creeping out from inside him.

His voice became a low, guttural growl, "_I would have hated those kits_."

Smokestar sheathed his claws. When his gaze turned back to Rosethorn's, his green eyes were pools of serenity. "But I have never hated them. Those kits were _innocent_.

"Besides," Smokestar went on, staring helplessly up at Silverpelt, "in the end, the three of us shared the same fate. We were all abandoned by our loved ones."

Rosethorn blinked. Did he mean Graywhisker's death?

"As I told you, Lightsnow didn't die because she got sick," Smokestar closed his eyes as though the idea pained him. "She died by taking her own life. She wanted to be with Graythorn."

Rosethorn shook her head, refusing to accept Smokestar's words. Lightsnow had killed herself, Graywhisker had killed himself – she didn't want to believe that Thorntail's heritage was so bloodstained, so flooded with cats that gave up the fight.

Thorntail was still mourning Graywhisker. What would happen if he found out that Graywhisker wasn't his only kin who had chosen to end it swiftly?

"I think Thorntail already knows," Smokestar voiced her thoughts. "He's been able to discover so much on his own, to unearth a lot of his past that likely would have been better buried."

Smokestar looked down from Silverpelt, and Rosethorn could hardly bear to see the pain glittering in his eyes. "So, after Lightsnow died," he murmured, "I tried my best to raise little Thornkit and Graykit myself. But I was Clan leader by then, and my Clanmates were looking to me to lead them to victory against WindClan. Leading the Clan was easy, because I had always known that one day I would carry the name 'star'. I had been preparing myself for that responsibility since I was hardly more than a kit myself. I knew I could defend ShadowClan well, and make sure we were prosperous."

Smokestar paused here, struggling to release the words that were causing him so much anguish, "I could do that. I could be a Clan leader…but…I didn't know about anything else."

A light drizzle of rain started to pour down from the heavens above.

Both cats were silent. The only noise was the patter of water falling to the earth. Smokestar closed his eyes, pained.

"I-I didn't know," he repeated. "I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to get close to them as a father. I didn't know how to be a father_._

"It was growing difficult. I was being crushed between my duties as Clan leader, and my personal struggles over the kits. I was still mourning Lightsnow and… Eventually, my medicine cat, Shadedhope, told me she thought that Graykit and Thornkit were interfering with my duties as leader. She was one of few cats who knew that they weren't really my sons. I suppose medicine cats always know such things, right?" The rhetorical question was likely meant to be humorous, but the acrid tone erased everything joyous about it. "She-she thought, like Lightsnow, and like Rowanstar before her, that I might hurt the kits. For the good of the Clan…and for the good of the kits, she suggested to send them away. I didn't want to at first, but she kept going on about how StarClan never wanted me to have kits anyway…" He trailed off and flattened his ears against his head, recoiling as though embarrassed.

Rosethorn didn't understand. StarClan didn't want Smokestar to have kits?

He continued before she could ask. "Eventually, I gave in. Duststar had loved Lightsnow as a daughter. And when I approached him at a gathering and offered him the sons she left behind… He was so happy. Apparently, his other daughter, Tawnyleaf, had recently had to leave the Clan, and he --- he was grasping for anything left of his kits. I lost my kits, but in a way, Duststar got his back. I could tell he loved little Thornkit and Graykit a lot, and I told myself that he would take better care of them than I could ever hope to.

"But later, I got to hear stories of Thorntail's exploits. How he was crossing Clan boundaries like they weren't there, about how he was chasing she-cats from all Clans. There was a brief time, when he was an apprentice, he returned to ShadowClan to live. I tried to correct his behavior, but I just made him even more obstinate. I just cemented him into repeating his father's mistakes. And I just helped Graywhisker onto that Thunderpath. After hearing about how important nobility and honor was, for him to find out that he was born from a lie…"

Smokestar's shoulders sagged, and his head dropped to his paws. There was nothing but despair dripping from his tongue.

_"I failed." _

_…_

"I failed," Lark meowed, her shoulders sagging as her ratty pelt turned silver in the moonlight. "Lightsnow was the only cat who Smokestar would ever love. I know that, now. But I didn't at the time. He was strugglin' and still dealin' with the blow of her leavin' him, and I – I," she hesitated, "I gave him somethin' else to worry 'bout. I should've been workin' to help him raise you two. I had done raised kits before I could've helped him. But at 'da time, I was mad at Lightsnow, too.

"She had had everything a cat could want. She was in a mighty fine Clan, had two kits that needed her, and a handsome, noble tom. Things I would've killed 'fer. Then she went and threw it all away. Now I understand, but I didn't then.

"'Cuz of that, Smokestar was alone. Eventually, that healer Shadedhope went ''ta him and told him to send you and Graywhisker away. And from there…" Lark shrugged helplessly. "You know the story."

He did. Alone and initially unwelcome in RiverClan, he and Graywhisker would form a closer bond than most siblings. Smokestar would try to form a relationship as well, and Graywhisker would welcome it. Meanwhile, Thorntail, remembering Lightsnow's teachings, would reject it.

It would be easier, he knew, to just blame everything that happened from there on the cats that came before him. If Lightsnow had decided to live, if Smokestar hadn't given in to Shadedhope's suggestions – then there wouldn't have been a problem. He would have grown up a normal ShadowClan warrior.

But he knew that he couldn't blame them for it all. They had put him in the circumstances, but he had chosen how to act.

Because of Thorntail's stubbornness to rebuff Smokestar, he became only cat Graywhisker could look to. And, even though he had thrust the responsibility on himself, Thorntail would try to run away from it. He would try to free himself from the burden of carrying Graywhisker.

And he did.

And now, Graywhisker was dead.

Every cat in Lark's tale, Graythorn, Lightsnow, and Graywhisker, were all as dead now as before. But now he could see how their paws led them to their demise, and see what small decisions could have changed everything.

Changed _everything. _The thought that Graywhisker might not have died if a different choice had been made was a thorn digging into his heart. It was like losing him all over again. He could almost scent Graywhisker beside him, the scent almost unmistakable from his own.

He could almost see Graywhisker's broken body on the Thunderpath. Battered not by a monster that runs on the Thunderpath, but battered by the monsters that live in every cat's heart. Battered by Graythorn's selfishness, Lightsnow's betrayal, Lark's jealousy, Smokestar's weakness – and battered by Thorntail's selfishness, betrayal, jealousy and weakness as well. If just one of them had risen above their flaws Graywhisker might not have died.

"Smokestar's a good cat," Lark meowed. "He's noble, and admirable. I love 'im," she confessed in words what Thorntail had been guessing the whole evening. "I hope maybe you can love him too."

Thorntail glanced at her.

He didn't love Smokestar. Not as a father, or even an uncle. Not as a Clan leader, or a mentor. He didn't love him.

It was unfair, he knew. Smokestar had never truly done him wrong, if he was honest. He had been harsh with him when he had been in ShadowClan, but he knew he hadn't ever been well behaved. He had sent them to RiverClan, but only at Shadedhope's insistence. And even then, it was so that they would have better lives.

All his feelings came from what his mother told him. He had lived his life based on her teachings, teachings that she likely later regretted. But it didn't matter.

When he brought the image of Smokestar up in his mind, he still saw a cruel, vicious cat who would one day try to harm him. A cat who would rather him dead, a cat who was caught up in a quest for vengeance. Vengeance against Thorntail for a crime he didn't commit.

It was wrong, he knew. It wasn't fair. He knew that he was wrong, that Lightsnow was wrong. Graywhisker had been right all along, but it was too late for him to say 'I told you so.'

He didn't love Smokestar. And after hating him for so long Thorntail doubted he ever would.

But for the first time, he _wanted_ to love him. That had to count for something, right?

"Oh, that sun's already went and gone down!" Lark's panicked mew broke Thorntail's thoughts. "I almost went and forgot why I was here!"

"Hmm?" Thorntail blinked. Lark wasn't alone. He had been on his way to ShadowClan territory to tell them about Tawnyleaf's patrols. He had nearly forgot his quest, too.

He had been so busy exploring the past that he had almost forgotten that there was a present.

"Well?" he prompted. "What is it? I was going to ShadowClan to tell them about Tawnyleaf's patrols. But honestly, I don't know how they'll be much help."

Lark shrugged. "Ya never know," she pointed out. "I was jist here 'ta make sure you weren't bein' held captive by RiverClan or somethin'. You wanna tell me about what you found out? I'll report it to Smokestar."

The thought of having Lark serve as a go-between sounded nice. Lightsnow's voice hissed gently in his ear, flickering like a serpent's tongue and dripping venom into his judgment. Smokestar was evil, and cruel. If at all possible, it was best to avoid him…

"I'll speak to him myself," Thorntail meowed through gritted teeth, ignoring his instincts howling at him to retreat.

Lark looked pleased. "Ain't that just fine?" she purred. "Well," she meowed brushing past Thorntail, heading deeper into RiverClan territory. "Like I said before, one of my faults is 'dat I'm often at places where I ain't s'posed to be. This time, I'm not gonna interfere with Smokestar's privacy."

"Oh, Lark, I don't think we're going to make- "

Lark cut him off. "I am gonna go to RiverClan's burial grounds," she announced. "I gotta pay my respects 'ta 'yer brother."

Thorntail thought about protesting, but decided against it. Lark knew how dangerous it was in RiverClan territory, he was sure. She was willing to take the risk, and she was going to do it for Graywhisker.

He wasn't going to stop her. Not many cats could pay Graywhisker the proper respect any longer. His mother and father had died, Smokestar lived in ShadowClan, Shadenight and Owlpelt likely wanted to forget about him, and Thorntail – soon, he wouldn't be welcome in RiverClan's land anymore.

He'd let Graywhisker's grave be honored for one last time.

"Wait," he called to Lark. The she-cat stopped, and Thorntail added, "Tell him something, will you?"

Lark looked over her shoulder.

"Tell him he was right." Lark looked quizzical, so Thorntail added, "He'll know what I mean."

...

It wasn't long before Thorntail found himself in FourTrees.

He thought nothing of it, and continued charging forward, his paws aching a little at the realization he was only halfway there. But they gained a newfound strength when he saw a familiar scarlet face peering down at him from the top of ShadowClan's part of the hollow.

"Thorntail!" Rosethorn yowled, bounding down towards him.

Thorntail stopped and watched her.

She was beautiful. He knew that some cats might find her face too round and her ears too small, her eyes too much of a stark contrast to her face --- but those cats were mouse-brains. The she-cat bounding towards him, moonlight glittering off of her pelt and starlight shining from her eyes was beautiful.

Yes, there was a present.

His real father was dead. Lightsnow was dead.

Graywhisker was dead.

But Rosethorn was alive.

There were hordes of harsh thorns behind him, and likely there were more ahead of him. But through it all, a rose had blossomed.

To see her bounding towards him like she was now, to feel the love radiating off of her pelt – for that, he would claw through all the thorns again.

If all that suffering by the cats before him was payment to have Rosethorn – it was worth it.

She stumbled to a halt in front of him, a purr rising from her throat to her eyes. "I wanted to meet you," she purred. "I thought you might be coming around now." She looked over his shoulder. "Where's Lark?"

He didn't reply. Instead, he buried his muzzle in her chest. To his surprise, she responded by curling his tail through hers.

Reluctantly, he broke from the embrace. "Lark and I talked about old times," he meowed.

Rosethorn shifted awkwardly. "So did me and Smokestar. He told me a lot about your father. Your real father," she added.

She had started to lead Thorntail up the incline, but he halted at those words. "What?!" he cried. "I've hardly heard anything about him at all! Well, whatever," he started moving again. "He died before I was born. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is the future, right? Our future as ShadowClan warriors."

Even as they moved, once again Rosethorn encircled her serpentine tail around his. "Our future," she agreed.

Joined together, the two cats led one another through the shadows.

Thorntail had never liked ShadowClan territory. It was marshy, treacherous. But with Rosethorn with him it didn't seem so bad.

He wished he could walk like this with her forever.

....

**-waves- Hiya, everyone! I hope you liked this chapter. Funny, I'm bad at long pieces of dialogue where there's big revelations, but my stories have a lot of them. -blushes- Sorries. **

**Yeah, especially if a lot of dialogue bores you. But I hope it was good. Everything that led up to Thorntail's birth is now clean in the open. And some reviewer wanted LarkxSmoke, so...here we are. See? I have fanservice. Maybe it's not a topless muscular guy strutting across the screen, but it's SOMETHING, right? **

**Thanks for all the reviews. I couldn't respond to some of them, but I DID appreciate each one. Really, thank you guys so much! **

**Some notes:**

**- As mentioned before, since Hazetail couldn't have kits for Duststar, the two of them adopted Lightsnow and Tawnyleaf. Tawnyleaf and Lightsnow have no kinship with one another, nor do they have any with Duststar. But Lark likely wouldn't know about that (though she seems to know about everything else... ) so she references them as his daughters. Smokestar does too, either because it's easier for me to write or because he identifies with Duststar trying to claim kits that aren't his.( But most likely it's the lazy writer thing. )**

**Anyways, I hope these chapters proved that I wasn't making EVERYTHING up as I went. See? I tied in how Duststar loved Tawnyleaf and Lightsnow, and Tawnyleaf's departure. Whee!**

**Anyways, please drop me a review to tell me what you liked/disliked. If you review, you'll get a Graythorn plush. -pause- Did I ever give one of those out before? I think I did, very recently, too... Not sure. **

**Anyways, like I said before, soon there is actually going to be a battle. So we can get out of all this murky drama and start slashing some claws. I hope that'll be refreshing! Keep a look out! ;)**


	25. Chapter 23 AKA: ZOMG SHE UPDATED PT 2

Every word had to be torn from his jaws. They fought against his will, scraping thorns against his throat, clawing and biting his tongue before they were finally flung into the air.

Even then, they hung in the sky, howling insults by merely echoing his words.

Thorntail tried to soothe himself by thinking that the information Smokestar was getting was of no use. Even when he had been listening to Tawnyleaf describe her patrols, he hadn't been able to avoid thinking that all the information was useless.

But when Thorntail detailed to his new leader of that RiverClan's dawn patrol consisting of Duststar, Dustyfoot, and Tigerflame, Smokestar's eyes lit up.

"Really?" Smokestar mused, tilting his head in thought. "Duststar is going to patrol our border?" He exchanged a glance with Ravenfeather who was seated beside him. After a moment the leader pressed, "Who are on RiverClan's other dawn patrols?"

Thorntail's mind reeled back to his conversation with Tawnyleaf. But his thoughts were muddled with surprise at Smokestar's lively reaction. When the leader had first called Thorntail and Ravenfeather into his den, he had seemed distracted. Then, while Thorntail had been betraying RiverClan – or rather, acting a loyal ShadowClan cat – it was only Ravenfeather who prompted him for answers. He hadn't even thought Smokestar was listening.

Finally, Thorntail's thoughts cleared, and he was able to repeat Tawnyleaf's words**. **"Owlpelt, Melodypaw, and Beetleflight are by the ThunderClan border. Wavepaw, Serpentpelt, and Silentsong are by the WindClan."

Even as Thorntail spoke, Smokestar was nodding, as though the words were exactly what he predicted. "Those are very small patrols," he observed. "Particularly the one by our border. Since we have been antagonizing one another, you'd think that they'd keep their elderly leader far from our territory. And if he had demanded to patrol, it would be likely he'd be well-guarded. He should be surrounded more than a mere two warriors."

Ravenfeather's ears pricked. Her amber eyes darkened. "You think there's more?"

Smokestar looked thoughtful. "RiverClan has been engaging with us in small border skirmishes for a few sunrises now. Likely, they know our Clan's personality and know that we will be searching for a time to counterattack. If they had their leader out in the open, it would certainly entice any of our patrols into crossing the border to draw blood."

"And they'd be walking right into an ambush," Ravenfeather finished for him, a snarl splattered onto her face. "We haven't been falling into their traps as of recently, so they need to have better bait. And they're using their own leader to corner us."

"Not necessarily. I do believe that Duststar is meant to bait us, but not in the manner you're thinking. I believe it's likely that Tawnyleaf intentionally left a majority of her warriors in the camp. She's hoping that we will send a small party to invade their camp. In their home territory, along with the likelihood that they will outnumber us, she wants to pounce on the advantages."

"Using her own leader as bait," Ravenfeather repeated the phrase, every word dripping off of her tongue with disgust. "If there's ever been an insult to the Warrior Code, the worm calling herself 'Tawnyleaf' fits neatly into the sheath."

Thorntail felt his claws slips from their sheaths involuntarily at Ravenfeather's careless insults towards his friend. "So what are we going to do?" he asked. "Are you guys going to take the bait?"

Ravenfeather and Smokestar turned shocked gazes to him, as if they had forgotten he was there.

"Yes and no," Smokestar finally replied. "We have the advantage of knowing their plan ahead of time. Ravenfeather," he turned to his deputy, "organize a patrol of seven or eight cats to the RiverClan border at dawn tomorrow. RiverClan won't be expecting a group of that size to attack their leader's patrol. They will have to call for reinforcements, drawing cats out of their camp."

"And then we will send another group to invade," Ravenfeather's whiskers twitched.

"Yes. But not from our border. We will enter through the WindClan and ThunderClan borders. Neither Clan will want to antagonize us until after the next Gathering when they realize our farce about aligning with RiverClan. And at that point, we will merely bat them out of the way." Clearly, Smokestar perceived neither WindClan nor ThunderClan as a threat.

But why should he? Thorntail asked himself. WindClan's population was pitiful, and ThunderClan's wasn't much better. Both had bowed beneath ShadowClan's will before. It could be expected that they would bow again.

"Wait - I don't understand," Thorntail spoke up again. "Why through the WindClan and ThunderClan borders?"

"To instill panic," Smokestar shrugged. "The RiverClan cats will believe there is an invasion from all sides and scatter, leaving their camp utterly defenseless. After that, just a few of our warriors just need to fight through their ranks and get to their camp, which we will ravage and raid. Victory."

…

Rosethorn's eyes lazed across the ShadowClan camp, her whiskers twitching uncomfortably as her gaze shifted between the warriors Birchclaw, and Cricketjump.

"Including myself," she meowed to Thorntail, "that's three warriors defending the camp."

Her mate was washing his chest, and if he hadn't twitched his ears when she spoke she might have thought he wasn't listening. When he did reply, it was rather evasive. "Birchclaw is a skilled fighter. He counts as two warriors. Oh, and Lark's here, too."

The former ThunderClan medicine cat couldn't restrain a soft kitten's mewl of concern. With RiverClan howling for blood, she wasn't comfortable with the camp being defended by a gnarled rogue and three meager warriors – herself, having only been in one battle before, among them.

And she was even less comfortable with the thought of the RiverClan cats reaching the camp. If they did, she would have to fight against them. And could she bring herself to swipe her claws against the cats she had called friends? Fight against the only cats that had welcomed her from ThunderClan, and had offered her a place of refuge? She owed them a debt greater than she could ever hope to pay.

"And the way I see it, Smokestar seems to think most of RiverClan's warriors are going to be safely tucked away in their camp. We're trying to draw them out, but they will be far too busy defending their territory to come into ours. You won't have to worry." Thorntail's jumble of words fell together, occasionally even overlapping. He was clearly distracted.

"…Did Tawnyleaf tell you about the ambush at the RiverClan camp? About how she's hoping ShadowClan invades?"

"No," Thorntail sighed. "But when I asked her about everything, she told me she couldn't tell me everything because she hadn't worked everything out herself yet." He hesitated. "But probably she didn't want all of her Clanmates to know that she was using her leader and camp as bait. Or…you know, maybe I should have waited for her to come up with the entire plan."

Rosethorn took in a breath. "Maybe," she meowed, slipping her words forward carefully knowing she was entering dangerous territory, "you didn't want to give away all of RiverClan's secrets, and left before you could find them out." When Thorntail didn't answer, she went on "I don't feel right about this. I don't like thinking that for me, you're giving up everything you loved. You're a RiverClan cat. It's wrong for you to do this to them just for me."

As soon as the words were out of Rosethorn's mouth, he swept them away with his tail. "No, that's not why I'm doing this at all," he purred quickly – to quickly. "Rosethorn, whatever any cat says I still have ShadowClan blood. These cats are my Clan and my kin, and I want to defend them." He flicked his tongue across her ear. "Don't feel any blame for this, okay? I just want to be the best warrior I can be."

Rosethorn felt the doubt prickle at her pelt. He was comforting her with a cliché, and one that didn't fit him, either. One of the things she had loved about Thorntail was that he had always tried to be the best _Thorntail _he could be. The title 'warrior' was just that: a title.

Before Rosethorn could reply, he abruptly rose to his paws and trotted over to where Foxheart and Onyxpelt were sharing a word.

Rosethorn watched as he engaged in their conversation, her heart withering as she noticed how solemn the other warriors were being - a sharp contrast to Thorntail's light demeanor. He wasn't a ShadowClan cat.

She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that he truly thought he'd be happiest in ShadowClan.

But she couldn't.

…

Thorntail's paws prickled as they smashed the fallen oak leaves beneath them. Ahead of him, the leader of the battle patrol, Onyxpelt, world around with his lips drawn into a snarl. The leaf had crunched, and clearly the dark tomcat was concerned that the noise would betray their location to the ThunderClan cats that claimed the territory.

Thorntail shrugged an apology, before he muscled forward with Foxheart and Stripedtalon at his flanks.

His entire pelt tingled as he was led deeper into the bowels of ThunderClan's land. He hadn't been in this particular stretch of the forest since he had called himself ThunderClan, himself.

And one of the last acts of loyalty he had performed for ThunderClan was chase invading ShadowClan cats out of the camp. And now, looking from side to side at the ShadowClan warriors Stripedtalon and Foxheart, the former still blanketed with wounds from Thorntail's claws from that very encounter, Thorntail had to suppress a purr of amusement. Life was funny, in a way.

"So we're going to cross into RiverClan at a place called Stepping Stones?" Stripedtalon hissed in a low voice.

It took Thorntail a moment to realize that the golden warrior was speaking to him. "Yeah. That's the easiest way to get into across the river. Without, you know, actually swimming across it." His whiskers twitched as he spoke. The thought of a ShadowClan cat frantically trying to buoy themselves across the river was an amusing one.

"Quiet," Onyxpelt ordered, the dark tom coming to a halt. He peered speculatively around a bush, his gaze tilting downwards into a ravine. "We're almost there."

Indeed they were. After tearing through a few shrubberies and creeping around a few oak trees, the rumble of the river greeted the four travelers and the stones poked their muzzles from the water. As Onyxpelt led them towards the bridge, Thorntail focused on the scents around him rather than the sound of what was once again his homeland.

Morninglight had been patrolling the scrap of territory recently, along with his old antagonist Shrewtail, and Silverleaf's younger sister, Gingerheart. Before that, it seemed that Applefur's brother Badgerclaw had literally padded after Twilightfur. Around the same time, Thorntail was able to unearth the stale scent of Flamesoul.

Every hair on Thorntail's pelt tingled at the recognition of these scents. ThunderClan was very familiar, and he felt an almost-homey quality around him. But he didn't feel any sort of kinship with the owner's of these scents any longer. He knew he would have no qualms about digging his claws into their pelts. He had denied ThunderClan as his home the moment he had learned that Streamstar was allowing Flamesoul to return after a short exile for _brutally and repeatedly raping her daughter. _

_ Rosethorn. _

But RiverClan? He had fled from there once, to escape from Graywhisker's ghost, but when he had returned it was like he had never left. It was his home, honest and truly, and now he was going to allow ShadowClan into the heart of their land?

Thorntail squared his shoulders and determined to do just that.

After crossing the Stepping Stones, Onyxpelt raised his tail into the heavens, an order for his patrol to halt. "RiverClan," Onyxpelt announced.

Sure enough, almost on cue, the moment the small ShadowClan invasion scrambled onto shore, the predicted RiverClan patrol came sprinting forward, yowling with outrage.

In a heartbeat, the felines of both Clans fell into a battle, the previous calmness of the territory all but a distant memory.

The ShadowClan warrior Foxheart's claws were as ginger as his pelt as he tore them across Beetleflight's flank. The small RiverClan tomcat retaliated by literally scurrying beneath the large ShadowClan cat, flipping himself onto his back and delivering a powerful kick with his back legs into Foxheart's vulnerable stomach. Foxheart yowled, and dipped his head, his jaws snapping as he grabbed for the scruff of Beetleflight's neck.

Stripedtalon, hearing Foxheart's cry, rushed to the tom's side and seized Beetleflight's tail, tearing the warrior out from beneath his Clanmate. Beetleflight howled as he struggled to maneuver around the pair of furious enemy warriors. But the two ShadowClan cats were matched step for step as they pushed Beetleflight back, each ignoring his desperate blows to their muzzles. Still in perfect unison, they launched themselves forward, sending Beetleflight to the earth.

Onyxpelt's black pelt was already torn and speckled with blood, but the senior ShadowClan warrior still valiantly pummeled his forepaws against one of Owlpelt's open wounds. The injury's territory expanded, and a red stream streaked through Owlpelt's chocolate fur.

Thorntail's fur bristled as he watched the huge ShadowClan cat pound Owlpelt repeatedly with his powerful forepaws, and had to mentally will himself not to rush forward and come to the RiverClan cat's aid. Owlpelt had been his friend – a denmate of him and Graywhisker when they had been apprentices.

And Onyxpelt? Thorntail's key memory of the ebony-furred warrior was discovering him at the site of the execution of one of the truly morally righteous cats left, Listeningecho.

Thorntail tore his attention away from the grim sight, but instead found himself eye-to-eye with Shadenight and Owlpelt's daughter, Duststar's granddaughter, and Tawnyleaf's apprentice: Melodypaw. Her dark pelt was puffed and bristled, her cool azure eyes rounded with alarm.

Thorntail stiffened, expecting her to pounce, but instead her gaze flickered from him to her father drowning in the swarm of ShadowClan cats. He imagined that the young cat was confused as to why her Clanmate would have arrived with ShadowClan. Likely, treason hadn't even entered her mind, as young an innocent as the cat was. Confusion was the only emotion swirling in the blue depths of her eyes.

But the puzzlement quickly faded and was replaced with flashing blue fire as she reached the obvious conclusion. And as she bunched her muscles together and sprang forward, Thorntail couldn't tear his eyes away from hers.

And as Melodypaw, Owlpelt and Shadenight's daughter, Listeningecho's and Duststar's granddaughter, Tawnyleaf's apprentice -the _enemy_ plunged her talons into his chest, he couldn't help but take note that her eyes, as blue as the sky above, were strikingly similar to his. A little darker shade, with more cerulean than azure, but the similarity was there nonetheless.

They looked a little like Graywhisker's. Another cat he had betrayed.

Instead of sapping the energy from him like he had feared it had, instead his veins pulsed with energy. He had done it before, he reminded himself, and he could do it again.

Besides, he justified as he gave the apprentice a slash across the shoulder, at least now he was turning traitor for someone else. Before it had merely been for his pleasure – this proved that he was a better cat than he had been as an apprentice. This proved that he had grown up, at least a little.

He held onto that thought like it was the last mouse in the forest during leaf-bare, refusing to let it escape as Melodypaw's countenance contorted into a murderous distortion of the ebony beauty it once was. She didn't say it in words, but the scarlet flecks slithering down her shoulders and her curled lips yowled it to the heavens: traitor.

He easily batted Melodypaw away, hardly even needing to prance around her blows or strike any of his own before she spiraled backwards.

While Thorntail had been distracted by Melodypaw, Owlpelt had escaped Onyxpelt's grip and pelted towards his daughter and supposed Clanmate, a limp falling into his step despite his best efforts to hide it.

The small brown tabby whirled towards the ShadowClan cats, his fangs bared, clearly encouraged to remain where he was now that his pelt was brushing against Thorntail's and with his daughter looking on.

Clearly, Owlpelt hadn't noticed Thorntail's arrival with the invaders, or his battle (bullying) of his daughter. "We can do this," Owlpelt declared, though he seemed to be speaking more to himself than to either of his companions.

Onyxpelt lumbered forward, the giant warrior's eyes glittering with glee. "Thorntail!" he hissed, punctuating the acknowledgment with a jerk of his head in Owlpelt's direction.

Melodypaw yowled a warning, and Owlpelt swiveled to face Thorntail, his expression painted with more confusion than concern, but that was all Owlpelt had time to do. With Rosethorn's own face implanted in his mind's eye, Thorntail rose to his hind legs and barreled his forepaws onto Owlpelt's shoulders, knocking the RiverClan warrior off of his paws.

Melodypaw scurried to her father's side, but once again Thorntail merely batted her away, ignoring the chorus of amused purrs that were rumbling around him. When Melodypaw was out of the way, Thorntail noticed that Foxheart and Onyxpelt were the source of the merriment.

"Beautiful," Onyxpelt cooed, curling his tail. "Foxheart, grab the apprentice, would you? Thorntail," the massive warrior shook his head, joy still chiseled on his features, "I was worried that you might have some issues with – what?" Stripedtalon had padded over to his side.

Stripedtalon quickly gave the status report. "I chased Beetleflight away. He should be coming back with reinforcements soon."

Foxheart had already captured Melodypaw, holding the struggling she-cat loosely by the scruff of her neck. Stripedtalon eagerly rushed to pin Owlpelt to the ground, preventing the brown tom from coming to the aid of his daughter.

Onyxpelt eyed the captive Melodypaw with a look of morbid fascination. "Do you suppose they'll send any other apprentices our way?"

Before Thorntail could process what Onyxpelt meant by that, the dark warrior continued, jerking his chin skyward, as though challenging any heavenly being to argue with him. "RiverClan took away two of my kits: Pearlpaw and Amberpaw. I'm going to slay two of theirs in exchange. And I am going to start with," his eye strayed towards Melodypaw, whose paws were working frantically as though she was trying to flee through the air from Foxheart's jaws, "her."

A wasp's stinger, one poignant venom-filled stinger of horror sunk deep into Thorntail's heart, slithering through every vein of his body. Bile rose to his throat, choking him. The only word he managed to choke out was, "_What?_"

"I'm going to kill that apprentice," Onyxpelt repeated. He spoke so casually, as though he was merely informing Thorntail of his favored hunting grounds, instead of the murder of a cat half his size and a fraction his age.

Owlpelt yowled, and managed to wriggle free from Stripedtalon's grip and fly forward, but the injury Thorntail delivered upon him earlier was harsher than any cat had predicted, and he stumbled into the dirt. His voice carried forward though, "Don't you dare touch my daughter! If you harm one hair on her pelt, StarClan help me I'll-"

Stripedtalon snorted, flexing his ruby-studded claws. "You're hardly in any position to be making threats, river-rat."

Thorntail finally managed to regain his composure. "You're going to kill a captured, injured, outnumbered apprentice?" he grunted. "C'mon, Onyxpelt. There's no sport in that." The final phrase came forth unbidden, his instinct frantically hemorrhaging humor to counter the strike of repulsion that sunk into him.

"There wasn't any sport to what they did to Pearlpaw and Amberpaw, either," Onyxpelt snapped, whirling at Thorntail and baring his teeth as though the gray warrior had uttered a heresy. "Amberpaw was merely hunting in our own territory, and was struck down cowardly under the blanket of night. And Pearlpaw's death was a token of amusement to the scum that lives in RiverClan. Sport is not what these crave," he flexed his claws. "Instead they thirst for vengeance."

Stripedtalon and Foxheart were nodding in understanding, but Thorntail's own claws suddenly demanded the blood of a kit-killer. He frantically searched for a solution, mewing something absently about honor. "Onyxpelt, the Warrior Code - "

"Don't _you_ dare lecture me on the Warrior Code!" Onyxpelt roared. "RiverClan has disregarded the Warrior Code in their murders and baseless attacks. They are no longer protected under its noble law."

Onyxpelt started to advance onto Melodypaw. Melodypaw, who had eyes so much like Graywhisker's. Melodypaw, the daughter of Owlpelt and Shadenight. Granddaughter of Listeningecho and Duststar. Apprentice of Tawnyleaf.

Owlpelt began blubbering for mercy, begging for Onyxpelt to take him instead, praying aloud to StarClan, yowling for some of his Clanmates. Finally his amber eyes fell onto Thorntail. "Thorntail! Thorntail, oh, StarClan, Thorntail, stop him! I know you can! You're the best warrior I know, you can stop him! You can save Melodypaw. C'mon, Thorntail, you're not a murderer, you're not."

Onyxpelt was taking his time as he drew closer to Melodypaw, clearly delighting in the apprentice's fear scent, in her father's horror.

Owlpelt, meanwhile, alternated from heralding Thorntail's virtue to a low, curse. "Traitor! You fox-dung eating murdering traitor! I hope StarClan rejects you. I hope they reject you and toss you in a pit of maggots for all eternity! I hope Graywhisker claws out your eyes for murdering him, just like you're murdering Melodypaw, I hope - "

Thorntail, he had never had kits himself. But he planned on having them, one day. With Rosethorn. That was why he was doing it all, right? So that Rosethorn would be safe, and happy, and that they would finally be able to have a life together.

Because she deserved it, right? _They_ deserved it, right? They deserved to be happy, after everything they had endured.

"—deserve to boil and rot like Runningstar, like Spottedstar."

Thorntail squared his shoulders.

No. When he had kits, he had to be able to look them in the eye.

When he saw Rosethorn again, he had to be able to look her in the eye.

Thorntail rushed forward.

Battle was something Thorntail could do. He had always prided himself on his fighting prowess. Clans had welcomed him into their ranks just for the edge he could offer them in war. He knew he wasn't as smart as Smokestar or as loyal as Tigerflame, but he also knew he could pin either one of them in a matter of heartbeats.

Onyxpelt heard his approach and whirled to face him. The warriors, Onyxpelt and Thorntail, circled each other, amber and sapphire eyes studying gray and ebony bodies for a weakness, each other for a weak point. Hate was splashed across Onyxpelt's features, but it was Thorntail who sprung first, a screeching yowl stampeding from his jaws.

He crashed onto the giant ShadowClan warrior, his paws swirling through the air as they clawed for a hold onto Onyxpelt's black fur. Onyxpelt rolled with Thorntail's strikes, and slashed forward, sending flecks of Thorntail's blood fluttering into the air. Thorntail didn't let up on his onslaught, snapping his jaws and tearing at the other cat's body relentlessly.

Onyxpelt's fur was torn and speckled with blood, but the ShadowClan warrior still valiantly pummeled his forepaws against one of Thorntail's newly acquired open wounds. The injury's territory was expanded, and Thorntail felt the red stream streak through his gray fur.

Thorntail gnashed his teeth together, but his claws kept flying forward, determined to paint the black warrior red. Onyxpelt reared backwards, and in the moment of release from his battle with the dark warrior, Thorntail was able to note the curiosity that neither Foxheart nor Stripedtalon had come to their Clanmate's aid.

And the reason why was glaringly obvious.

Bedlam was in the air, and blood was spilling onto the ground. Battle had risen with the sun, and yowls were streaking through the wind. The waves of battle cascading around him, no cat offering him a cursory glance.

The RiverClan reinforcements had arrived!

Beetleflight had returned, and he, along with Fishclaw, was sharpening his claws against Stripedtalon's side. Foxheart was having difficulty keeping on his paws as the RiverClan apprentices, Smallpaw and Rainpaw, weaved around him.

Thorntail didn't have time to ponder the significance of RiverClan's coming as Onyxpelt swiped his claws across his cheek. "You have no loyalty in you, do you? You betray RiverClan, and then betray your kin?" Onyxpelt kept speaking even as he swerved to dodge one of Thorntail's flying claws. "I've never met a cat who fit the label traitor so beautifully."

"I'd rather be a traitor than a murderer," Thorntail snapped, aiming a blow for one of Onyxpelt's legs, hoping to unbalance him.

"Murderer?" Onyxpelt echoed, leaping upward to avoid the attack. "I was merely going to avenge Pearlpaw and Amberpaw. They should not be the only young blood spilt!" Onyxpelt reared upward, and Thorntail expected an attack, but instead Onyxpelt swerved to the side, fleeing from his enraged opponent and started towards Smallpaw and Rainpaw.

Thorntail hissed and swarmed after him.

…

Tawnyleaf had always had her own vision of beauty.

She remembered a time when she had been a medicine cat apprentice. Her mentor had taken her to Mothermouth to be formally accepted by StarClan, as all medicine cat apprentices had to be. Her mentor had told her to be prepared for the wonder and glistening beauty that was Moonstone when it was lit by the heavens above.

Apparently, it was the epitome of beauty in most cat's eyes. It was the personification of StarClan's mercy and loyalty to their descendants, a metaphor for how StarClan would light the way for their followers even in the darkest of hours.

When Tawnyleaf had first set eyes on it, all she saw was a rock. A sparkling light, sure, but she had also seen fish scales sparkle in the sunlight.

So the rock was shiny. So what? If it symbolized anything, she felt that it symbolized false hope. Sure, StarClan would offer a light of hope forward, but it would burn out as quickly as it had appeared.

And that wasn't beautiful. It wasn't natural, really, and Tawnyleaf admired natural beauty.

And that was what she was seeing unfold before her. Beauty. Pure and simple.

The deputy was perched comfortably on one of the tallest trees residing in RiverClan's territory, the entire expanse of the land laid out before her for her viewing pleasure.

Almost the entirety of RiverClan's territory was visible. And almost the entirety of RiverClan territory was blanketed with battle. Warring cats, striking each other with their sharpened, bloody claws and snapping at each other with their pointed fangs.

From the distance, she could not detect the scents to discern which cats were RiverClan and which were ShadowClan. And they all looked like ants. For fun, Tawnyleaf lifted a forepaw forward and batted playfully at the insects, squashing them.

All around her the yowls of battle echoed. Yowls of pain, some. Shrieks of terror, others. Howls of rage, yelps of joy, and moans of defeat.

But Tawnyleaf, as she watches the cats beneath her fight and struggle and kill for their families, their Clans, for their honor and beliefs, she purrs. A low, tilting, purr, that quickly climbs to new heights, mirroring a shrieking cackle.

The yowls weaved into Tawnyleaf's ears, but they are drowned out soon by more of her rapturous, shrieking purrs and her rumbling moans of joy.

She hadn't moaned like this since Duststar had been strong, and handsome. Not some hallowed out husk of a tom, with no beauty to speak of.

She watched the ants scurry about some more. They whirled around, making flashing designs, exploding rivers of red, with moving raindrops of brown, ginger, and grey. But red was becoming more and more prolific.

To her, it was beautiful. Cats fighting for what they believed in. And spilling blood. But she knew that most 'warriors' would say that battle is a necessity, not entertainment.

She also knew that there was at least one other cat in the forest who would share her view on beauty.

For a heartbeat, Tawnyleaf's mind and eyes wandered to the North, where the almost never-ending moors of WindClan rolled before her. Her son was there, she was told. She wondered if he could see the gorgeousity that was unfolding beneath her.

She squashed a few more ants before growing bored. It was more fun, she decided, to actually kill. And she was almost certain that actually killing cats was more enjoyable than squashing them from afar.

Although squashing Duststar from afar had been enjoyable.

As she leaped down from her tree, and over the cluster of corpses that had been its foot, the warrior Serpentpelt scurried towards her. Tawnyleaf half expected the other she-cat to ask why she had been perched in the overgrown shrubbery but instead the warrior sputtered, "There's too many of them, Tawnyleaf."

"Impossible. We should be evenly matched. And they're on our territory, so - "

"They're everywhere!" Serpentpelt cut her off. "Ravenfeather, they're deputy…she told me that we could surrender. They just want - Oh, I'll just tell Duststar. Do you think he'll be interested in a surrender?"

Tawnyleaf kinked her tail. "You want to admit defeat?"

For the first time, Tawnyleaf noticed the glittering red that was spewing from Serpentpelt's shoulders, and the streaks of red on her side.

"Before there's more death, yes." The she-cat nodded. "They – they're out for blood, Tawny-mommy. Already, Fishclaw- " Serpentpelt broke off. "Where is Duststar? I must speak to him. It's like fighting flaming hounds from the land of those banished from StarClan. They're-"

Tawnyleaf had lowered her head while Serpentpelt spoke, allowing a look of pain to darken her features. "I'm afraid, Serpentpelt, that I am not unfamiliar with ShadowClan's bloodlust. Duststar is dead. He was slain by some ShadowClan warrior. I avenged his death, and their bodies are behind me."

Serpentpelt's whole form stiffened, and her head flopped downward as though the muscles had disappeared from the short she-cat's head. But time for grief was short, and she stood straight. "Then it's your duty, Tawnyleaf. As RiverClan's new leader, you have to end this. It isn't cowardice. Instead, it'll be a mark of your ability as a leader. Please. If you have already avenged Duststar's death…"

Tawnyleaf ignored everything else her (yes_, her_) warrior rambled about. If her cats wanted the battles to end, then she would end it gladly. She already got what she had wanted, with Duststar growing cold behind her and his murderer and her victim already stiff. She was a little disappointed in his manner of death. Squashing ants from afar really wasn't as entertaining.

It was time for a new dawn. She would be Tawnystar, leader of RiverClan. A story for the legends, of the she-cat who had fallen from the grace of StarClan as a medicine cat but eventually valiantly returned to bring order to her Clan and to the forest. For, yes. The forest needed fixing.

If it could create a cat like her and her son, there was definitely something wrong.

And tomcat, did the thought make her purr.

* * *

**Yeah, yeah, yeah. I disappeared for a few months. I'm so sorry...and if you're still there, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT! I'll try to explain why it took so long in my profile, but...it's not really a good reason. Heh. I apologize for this chapter too, especially if it seems choppy. See, I've been slowly writing it since my last update. So that means I started and stopped numerous times and...well... Yeah. Choppiness ensues. Also, I apologize for the numerous typos. And for the Tawnyleaf bit at the end, but I was having trouble putting forward the fact that Duststar was dead. -shrugs- This chapter was hard because I didn't really have a plan for it except that I wanted Thorntail to turn on ShadowClan and I wanted Duststar dead. I need plans. _ Um, please review and tell me if you're still there, what you liked/didn't like. Really, the story IS almost over. But I've been saying that for years though. Heh. Seriously though. Now that this hard chapter is over, hopefully I'll start popping 'em out again. Keep an eye out! **


	26. Chapter 24

**Enjoy,**

* * *

The call for a détente truce seemed to come from StarClan themselves.

Sapphirepaw's wounds had started to trouble her, and with streams of blood trickling down each of her four legs, no cat would be surprised to hear her utter a complaint, or a curse. But as usual, the apprentice grimaced and bore the pain without a word. Smokestar was nearby, and she wasn't going to show any sign of weakness to _him_.

Her claws had scored across more river-rats than she cared to count, and her teeth felt like they wanted to flee from her mouth from all of the biting they had been forced to endure. Fleeing had sounded good to her whole body, actually, and the thought had rushed through her mind on more than one occasion. But she quickly chased the idea away. It had to be a sin to think that way after all. She was fighting to avenge her own sisters, Pearlpaw and Amberpaw. If she ran, she would be disgracing their very memory.

But the RiverClan cats, they were fighting for their very lives, and each blow they thrust was fueled by the knowledge. They struck with the power of their Warrior Ancestors backing every blow, hardly a cat willing to surrender any ground to the ShadowClan intruders.

But, then again, maybe they weren't as invulnerable as they were pretending to be. For when the yowl for a pause echoed off of the slashing claws, the pointed talons seemed more than happy to return to their sheaths, no matter who they belonged to, RiverClan or ShadowClan.

Still, Sapphirepaw couldn't help but be confused. "A détente?" she echoed the peculiar word which had been used like a magic spell to end the battle. She turned to Smokestar, who had already begun to lick his chest fur clean of blood.

"Um, Smokestar?" she mewed to get his attention. When she got it, she pressed, "What is a day-taunt?" She pronounced the word slowly and carefully, refusing to mispronounce the term.

"A détente," he meowed patiently, "is a relaxation of tensions. A pause in the battle," he clarified.

Before Sapphirepaw could press Smokestar for more, the sleek form of Ravenfeather revealed itself, stealing the leader's attention.

"The RiverClan deputy _Tawnyleaf_," Ravenfeather's tone dripped with venom at the name, "accepted our offer to allow them to surrender."

Smokestar's green gaze lingered on his deputy for a few heartbeats. "You are not pleased with the prospect," he noted.

Ravenfeather deliberately lifted a bloodied claw and wiped it clean. "The alternative," she mewed, "is to continue fighting until RiverClan is completely destroyed. The thought is a comforting one, but," she shook her head, "a true warrior does not ignore a plea for mercy."

Smokestar looked pleased at Ravenfeather's choice of words, as though it was a mantra he had been trying to instill into her for seasons. "But a surrender?" he asked. "To be perfectly honest, I merely made the offer in order to try and keep the Warrior Code. I never expected Duststar to sheath his claws and beg for mercy."

The deputy shrugged, though her amber eyes glittered with concern. "We should not let our guards down," she agreed. "I wouldn't put it past Tawnyleaf to lure us into a trap."

Smokestar didn't comment on Tawnyleaf's duplicity, and instead asked, "So Duststar wants to discuss a surrender? Where, then?"

"FourTrees," Ravenfeather meowed. "That's what their warrior Serpentpelt told me. I trust her, at least as far as you can trust a RiverClanner. We can see what they have to say, and if we don't like it we can rip their fur off."

Sapphirepaw didn't listen to the rest of her mentor and Ravenfeather's discussion. Instead her gaze fell to her paws, where she freed her claws. They were dripping with blood.

Sapphirepaw rose to her paws and began to tail her mentor as he began to pad northward into the direction of FourTrees, ignoring the filter of scarred RiverClan cats as they reared backwards to find their own leaders. The enemy Clans shuffled past one another, eyes fixed straight ahead. No RiverClan cat even offered her a frivolous glance, and Sapphirepaw couldn't help but think that she wasn't seeing cats at all: instead she was just seeing shadows. Uncaring, unseeing, and unknowing.

_Beasts,_ Sapphirepaw told herself as she eyed a nasty gash on one apprentice's shoulder. _They deserve to have every drop of blood ripped from their veins. _But her controlled thoughts, weighed heavily against the pity that welled up inside her throat.

Luckily, she didn't have to concern herself with the duality between her supposed thirst for vengeance and the remorse clawing at her ears. Instead, Foxheart, Stripedtalon, and Onyxpelt, who roared into the ever-growing party of traveling ShadowClan cats, stole her attention. Foxheart and Stripedtalon seemed relatively unharmed save for a few unavoidable scratches scattered across their pelts, but her father, Onyxpelt, had a limp in his step and a blanket of blood oozing across her ebony fur. It was his own.

The pity Sapphirepaw had felt earlier for the defeated cats evaporated. What had the barbarians done to her father? The three tomcats muscled past her, calling for Smokestar's attention.

When they got it, Stripedtalon jerked his tail towards Onyxpelt, who was struggling several pawsteps behind them, unable to match the healthier cats' pace. "Look at Onyxpelt," Stripedtalon ordered his leader.

"Now, Stripedtalon," Foxheart cautioned from Stripedtalon's flank. Sapphirepaw knew that Foxheart had always been one of her more careful Clanmates. Likely, he had caught the insubordinate tone of Stripedtalon's mew and was worried that it might incite Smokestar's rage.

Smokestar wasn't angry, however. But his face did wrinkle with concern when his gaze traveled to Onyxpelt. "Sapphirepaw, help Onyxpelt back to the camp. Shadedhope must look after him."

Sapphirepaw instantly moved to follow Smokestar's orders, but Stripedtalon's harsh voice stopped her. "Don't you want to know what happened to him?" he demanded.

Sapphirepaw stopped in her tracks, her hackles rising. What had happened to him? He had fought RiverClan, of course. Unless…

She whirled around, not tearing her gaze from her mentor and Stripedtalon. What had happened to Onyxpelt if it wasn't RiverClan's doing?

Smokestar's tail tip twitched, but beyond that he didn't move as he waited for the story.

Onyxpelt was the one who answered Smokestar's unspoken query, his voice a guttural growl. "It was Thorntail."

Sapphirepaw dug her claws into the earth. Around her, she saw that her Clanmates shared her feeling. Usually, when the treachery of a Clanmate was revealed, ripples of shock would reverberate through the Clan. But some cats were nodding as though they had expected it from the beginning. Some cats were yowling for blood.

There was the slightest flicker in Smokestar's expression, so brief, that Sapphirepaw wasn't sure what it was – anger, contempt, disappointment, disbelief? He tilted his head in thought. "Why?"

Stripedtalon hissed furiously, and Onyxpelt looked like he was wanted launch himself forward and tear out Smokestar's throat right then and there.

"What do you mean '_why'_?" Stripedtalon snarled. "He was loyal to RiverClan this whole time! He was a traitor from the beginning! You never should have allowed him into our ranks!"

The whole time Stripedtalon was speaking, the ShadowClan leader just nodded placidly. When Stripedtalon had finished his tirade, Smokestar mewed, "That doesn't make sense, Stripedtalon." When his warriors opened their mouths to object, he jerked his tail for silence and elaborated. "Thorntail was the one who gave us the information to make this all possible. If he had been allied with RiverClan this whole time, why did he not lead us all into a trap?" No cat could answer that question, so he went on. "Why did Thorntail attack?"

Onyxpelt looked down at his paws, refusing to meet Smokestar's questioning gaze. Stripedtalon, however, instantly explained. "He's insane. He attacked Onyxpelt for no reason. Maybe he didn't think we would actually win the battle. You know, he underestimated us. But when he saw how well Onyxpelt was doing, he flew at him like- "

Foxheart spoke over Stripedtalon's tirade. "He…" he paused and corrected himself, "_we_ were going to murder a defeated apprentice."

Sapphirepaw flinched. Just like how Pearlpaw was slain in the RiverClan camp. Captured, defeated, broken, she had been no more threat to RiverClan but Duststar had had her killed anyways. It was unnecessary brutality.

Sapphirepaw eyed her father with a mixture of pride and loathing. It had been justified, what he tried to do, but she couldn't help but think of the poor apprentice's family. Did that make her a bad warrior, thinking about things like that?

She didn't get to ponder that for long. Smokestar nodded at Foxheart and quietly thanked him for his honesty before adding so everyone could hear him, "Unnecessary killing is against the Warrior Code. True, RiverClan disregarded that code moons ago and were no longer protected under its law. But we cannot begrudge a cat who still upholds its teachings, especially in dealing with young cats."

Sapphirepaw watched her Clanmates faces with mild interest. Hardly a pair wore the same expression. Some were painted with awe at Smokestar's wisdom, while others just seemed pleased that their leader still exalted the Warrior Code. Others had hard eyes, clearly viewing Smokestar's display as one of favoritism towards his son. Some looked positively murderous.

One of these was Stripedtalon. "So he will not be punished?" he spat.

Smokestar didn't respond to Stripedtalon's exclamation, and instead moved to continue towards FourTrees. "When we see Thorntail again I will speak with him."

Stripedtalon leapt at that. "Thorntail stayed behind!" he yowled. "With the RiverClan apprentice and her father."

Smokestar didn't break stride, though Sapphirepaw did notice that his tail jerked to the side with what was undeniably irritation. But he made no further comment as he led his Clan onward.

Sapphirepaw, remembering Smokestar's earlier order, collected her father and tried to help him back to camp."

…

A wave of apprehension swelled in Thorntail's chest as the echoes of a détente were chucked into the air. The word acted as a magic spell, and around him, Foxheart, Onyxpelt, and Stripedtalon reared backwards, the would-be-kit-murderers following the warrior code's law when it came to responding to the orders of a superior, such as the deputy, Ravenfeather. Onyxpelt was clearly reluctant, however, but his wounds were as such that it would have been physically impossible for him to keep the battle going for much longer, anyways.

But as injured as Onyxpelt was, Thorntail knew better than to follow the three ShadowClan cats. While Foxheart refused to meet his eye, Stripedtalon looked positively murderous, and Onyxpelt's opinion of him wasn't much better. He wouldn't put it past the trio to merge on him swiftly, end his life, and blame RiverClan on it.

On the other paw, Thorntail noticed as he gazed around at the exhausted RiverClan cats that alleged 'lie' of theirs might have ended up coming true. He was a traitor of both Clans, and by the fox-dung ridden code every cat followed so blindly, both Clans were permitted to spill his blood.

But right now, no cat seemed interested in him.

"A détente?" Beetleflight was mewing thoughtfully. "What do you suppose this is about? I've heard of them in kits' tales, but never have I actually seen one in action."

Serpentpelt, the she-cat who had been the RiverClan warrior to merge her cry with Ravenfeather in an order for a pause in the tensions, had her eyes firmly on her paws. "Tawnyleaf wanted to discuss a way to find peace with Smokestar."

Fishclaw, the sleek silver-pelted tomcat that had tormented Graywhisker during his apprenticeship and who had been tormented by Thorntail during that same time, flexed his blood-dripping claws. "She wants to show the ShadowClan cats mercy? Fox-dung! They deserve to have their pelts ripped off, every last one of them."

Serpentpelt's gaze snapped upwards into Fishclaw, her green eyes dripping with feeling. "Tawnyleaf is asking for mercy," she corrected, and for the first time Thorntail noticed how haggard the she-cat appeared. It seemed that it was her pelt that had nearly been ripped off, with several clumps of fur missing from her back. Her golden fur was streaked with crimson, and one of her ears had been suitably shredded.

Fishclaw didn't understand. "What?" he snarled. "Why? We can fight for another moon! ShadowClan cats aren't so tough!"

Serpentpelt's lip curled into a snarl, and it was easy for Thorntail to forget that this was the same good-natured she-cat who had been prancing around RiverClan's camp and swirling everyone's names around just days earlier. "They're everywhere, Fishclaw. They knew our every move. They didn't have mercy. Maybe you did better here," she nodded to the riverbank where Fishclaw had fought off some ShadowClan invaders, "but the rest of our territory was overrun. Smokestar offered us a chance to surrender, and it's obvious - " the short female was visibly shaking now, "it's obvious that if we don't take the offer we will…we will… StarClan, I don't even want to know."

Fishclaw wasn't bothered. "Does Duststar know what Tawnyleaf's doing? We can fight harder. We just didn't know just how low ShadowClan can stoop. We can fight just as dirty as they can, we can - "

Serpentpelt flicked her tail for silence. "Fishclaw, ShadowClan knew where we all were and were able to plan everything accordingly, they had to have. They knew where the patrols were that would have easy reinforcements, where the isolated ones were…where to march straight into our camp." She shuddered.

Serpentpelt was merely thinking out loud, but it didn't take Fishclaw long to seize onto her words and whirl towards Thorntail. "You!" he spat. "Where have you been the last few days? Convenient that you'd return just in time for a battle with ShadowClan."

Thorntail felt several pairs of RiverClan eyes shift towards him, as each cat came to the same conclusion Fishclaw did. Suspicious eyes narrowed, and a new surge of strength entered into every defeated cat as they found the source of their shame.

Something clicked in Thorntail's mind, then, and he felt a purr rise into his throat. Part of him knew that it was likely just hysteria, but even so, his mind blared, in an undeniably amused way, _For once, everyone's suspicions are entirely justified!_

But to Thorntail's surprise, Owlpelt spoke up before any cat could advance onto him. "If you're accusing Thorntail of treason, Fishclaw," the brown warrior meowed coolly, "then you're mistaken. He saved Melodypaw's life, and we all saw him fight off Onyxpelt." He shrugged. "If he's a traitor, he's a rather poor one."

"He _did_ save me," Melodypaw confirmed reluctantly when every eye fell onto her. Her own eyes flashed confusedly towards Owlpelt.

Just like the call for détente had sheathed every claw, Owlpelt and Melodypaw's word seemed to ease every cats' suspicions.

Thorntail just gaped at Owlpelt, unable to tear the shock from his face. Owlpelt had watched as he pondered whether or not to allow Melodypaw to die, saw him thunder into the territory with three ShadowClan cats in toe, and he wasn't suspicious at all?

Owlpelt wasn't a mouse-brain. Owlpelt had a very shrewd mind, in fact, and had worked tirelessly to uncover the truth behind Graywhisker's death. It had been a thorn in Thorntail's side those seasons ago, and it didn't make sense that Owlpelt could piece together moons-old-clues as he had with Graywhisker and reach a perfect conclusion, but couldn't make sense of facts when they literally bit down in his shoulder.

"Well, what now then?" Beetleflight spoke up, interrupting Thorntail's thoughts.

Serpentpelt opened her mouth to answer, but the noise of pawsteps marching forward drowned her words. Each cat turned to see Tawnyleaf thundering towards them, a large group of RiverClan cats behind her.

"I believe that is everyone accounted for," she sighed, after her gaze took in the band of RiverClan warriors she had discovered. After a pause where she in took a melodramatic breathe, she announced, "RiverClan, I am now going to FourTrees to speak with Smokestar about a surrender. Or rather, a - "

"A surrender?" Fishclaw spat incredulously, breaking his deputy off.

"_You?_" Beetleflight questioned. "What about Duststar? Shouldn't he be the one to…"

Even as Beetleflight spoke, Tawnyleaf shook her head. Her slim form was shaking, but her voice was calm as she broke Beetleflight off with just: "Duststar is dead."

The RiverClan cats, with the noticeable exception of Serpentpelt, yowled with shock and outrage. Then some of them lowered their heads in solemn remembrance, while others bristled with outrage.

Thorntail, he just stood there in shock. Duststar was _dead? _His mind reeled through all of his memories of the jolly RiverClan leader. He had been so trusting, and understanding; one of the few leaders who had seemed to have affection for Thorntail. His mind had started to stray to StarClan on its own later, but Duststar had still seemed well equipped to lead RiverClan.

He had been the oldest leader in the forest, maybe even one of the oldest cats in the forest. Already, even the name of the leader that had been Duststar's predecessor had faded from Thorntail's memory, and as his gaze traveled across the other RiverClan cats, he knew he wasn't alone. There were few cats in the entire forest that would remember a RiverClan without a Duststar. He almost seemed as part of the forest as the Great Oaks in FourTrees.

_And he was gone. _

"A ShadowClan warrior took his final life in battle," Tawnyleaf explained. "I avenged him. Both their bodies lie beneath…" The new leader of RiverClan went on, recounting the facts behind Duststar's death with a cold detachment, as though she was speaking of a leader from long past who no longer had anyone around to mourn him.

But Duststar did have cats to mourn him. Melodypaw's head fell to her paws as she listened to the story behind her grandfather's death, and Cinnamonfur, Duststar's dimwitted son who had followed Tawnyleaf to the riverside, had his mouth parted in horror. Many RiverClan cats shared close kinship with Duststar, what with him having fathered so many kits, and it was clear from the pained expressions on their faces that they knew they had lost more than a leader.

"Who killed him?" One cat questioned Tawnyleaf when she was finished.

Thorntail's gaze traveled to his blood-soaked paws.

"A ShadowClan warrior," Tawnyleaf repeated. "He had brown fur. I don't waste my time or energy memorizing the names of ShadowClan warriors. He murdered Duststar." A giggle rocked her tone. "He was a disgrace and has been dealt with accordingly."

Thorntail lifted a paw and began to lick. Whatever Tawnyleaf said, he knew who had really killed Duststar. It was the cat that had informed his murderer exactly where he would be. The cat that had led ShadowClan warriors into his territory.

Duststar and Graywhisker. Two cats he had disposed of without ever lifting a claw against either.

The blood on his paws refused to come off.

"So," Tawnyleaf mewed dismissively, "I must travel to HighStones and receive my nine lives. That is why we are requesting mercy," she attempted to cajole her Clan. "If I met Duststar's fate in battle today, RiverClan would be without a leader. And we can't have that."

The RiverClan cats exchanged looks. Some cats seemed convinced and even happy with Tawnyleaf's explanation, but Thorntail could see from their torn pelts and glazed eyes that ShadowClan had obviously pummeled these cats. None of them could be expected for fight for much longer. He also noted that their numbers had dwindled. Tawnyleaf had mentioned once that every cat was accounted for, and Thorntail prayed that she meant that she had left numerous healthy warriors elsewhere.

"So I'll meet with Smokestar at FourTrees and discuss this." Her eyes pranced across her warriors, looking for healthy bodies. "Fishclaw, Beetleflight, Thorntail, and Rinoa, you four come with me. Everyone else, return to camp and see Blueherb. Wavepaw is going to be assisting her."

Apparently done with leading her new defeated Clan after that, she started to trot in the direction of FourTrees, collecting Fishclaw and Rinoa as she went. But the tawny-furred leader stopped abruptly as though a thought struck her, and turned back to her Clan. "Also, don't be alarmed if there are one or two ShadowClan warriors there. Rufflepelt and Steamclaw, I think. Leave them be until I return."

Swiftly, and before she could listen to the loud objections from her Clan, Tawnyleaf zipped forward.

Thorntail reluctantly began to follow her, passing Owlpelt as he went. He leveled his gaze with Owlpelt's cool amber one. "Thanks," he meowed warmly, referencing how the warrior had helped him sidestep fully grounded accusations of treason.

Owlpelt's voice, however, was anything but warm. "You saved Melodypaw," he replied simply, pulling his daughter closer. "I was indebted to you. A true warrior pays his debts."

Thorntail froze, one paw still in the air. The ice in Owlpelt's voice chilled his whiskers, and his amber eyes, in contrast, burned with the fire of a rage not yet quenched. Owlpelt, his old friend from as far back as his apprenticeship, was just that: an old friend. Their friendship was going to be buried that night, just like every other fallen warrior.

The gray tomcat tore his gaze away, squared his shoulders, and fled from Owlpelt, his swift paws leading him to Tawnyleaf's side.

For a leader taking reign of a Clan while in the ashes of defeat, his friend looked positively radiant. Tawnyleaf had always been beautiful, and she was even more so now, as the rising moon overhead turned her golden fur a sterling silver, turning the blood awash on her pelt into a glittering river. She looked full of life, with a bounce in her step and an amused twitch in her whiskers.

"Hey, Thorntail," she greeted. Her voice was chipper, as though RiverClan wasn't crumbling behind them, as though Duststar wasn't growing cold behind them, as though the forest was perfect and she was in the center of it. The sweetness almost disgusted him.

"I'm going to be leader," she mewed absently, her pitch growing heavier. "Tawnystar. Has a ring to it," she added.

Thorntail nodded in understanding. He sometimes displayed his sense of humor in inappropriate places. "You'll be a fine leader," he commented. Though even as the words tumbled from his mouth, he found that he had trouble picturing his loose friend gathering her Clan around her, conducting warrior ceremonies and blessing kits.

Tawnyleaf's head bobbed with gratitude. "I know," she responded simply. After a pause she added, "And you'll be a fine deputy."

The new leader's words still hung in the air, and already Thorntail's blood-soaked paws felt so heavy he could hardly lift them. In the quick-pace of everything, he had almost forgotten Tawnyleaf's vow to name him deputy when she rose to leader.

And ShadowClan-born Thorntail's dark mind already had sorted through a way to seize the position with ease. While Tawnyleaf was at HighStones he could sneak into ShadowClan's camp, grab Rosethorn, and return as though nothing happened. RiverClan would have to welcome him now, if he was deputy – before, the only reason he had smuggled Rosethorn to ShadowClan was the possibility of war between ThunderClan and RiverClan.

_That was certainly not a possibility now_, Thorntail thought as he once again took in the sight of the broken RiverClan cats.

No, that wouldn't work. Smokestar would definitely have Rosethorn under guard. However, he could also simply sneak into the ShadowClan camp right then. Smokestar and Tawnyleaf would both be distracted with one another at FourTrees, and he could just go into ShadowClan, announce to the remaining cats that Smokestar thought the negotiations would be easier with Rosethorn in toe, grab her and call it a day. Or, he could maybe keep his position as RiverClan deputy and still be an informant for Smokestar. His heartless uncle would probably prefer that anyways. It had been done – Spottedstar had wrangled herself a position as ThunderClan's deputy while simultaneously being WindClan's deputy a few seasons ago. And he could do things better than Spottedstar.

He shook the thought away. No. It wouldn't work, none of it would work. Even if one of his first plans succeeded, and he did steal Rosethorn back into RiverClan, he couldn't be deputy. He couldn't lead knowing that he had practically murdered Duststar for the position. The blood was on his claws, and there was no washing that away. And he wouldn't ever do it again, no matter what temptations appeared in his mind. He would never knowingly betray the cats he loved again.

He would have to return to ShadowClan, make the best of things there.

Tawnyleaf was looking at him expectantly. She seemed a little disappointed that he hadn't jumped for joy at her offer.

"I'm sorry, Tawnyleaf," he meowed, every word having to be torn from his throat. "I can't be your deputy."

* * *

**Well, there we go. Sorry for the uber long update. Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a broken record. . But seriously. I can't conceive of this story lasting too much longer, and it only has a handful of chapters left. Please hang in here and be patient with me! Once again, I thank everyone who reviewed and has kept reading even though I am like, the worst updater in the history of forever. :-( -cough-**

**Anyways, guys, I am currently planning (yeah, I know, I plan about a million fanfictions and never get around to anything. _ One day, I swear! ) a Children of the Corn Fanfiction. A Malachai genderswitch. You know, see how the movie would play out if murderous Malachai (who, for those unfamiliar with the COTC, is like Tigerclaw if he was a ginger-haired Amish kid) had been born with a bit more estogen. Basically, his core personality is gonna remain the same, but let's face it: us girls think differently, react differently. She'd have to go the extra mile to kill in the name of her crazy corn-god, since, let's face it - and as a girl I freely admit it - guys are physically more powerful then us. . Also, I can't imagine women being permitted to become too powerful in Isaac's Gatlin. I'm so addicted to that fandom right now, and I wanna contribute to it. (Don't worry, this story is top priority. When you work on something for 4 years, it gets like that.) But I can't think of a feminine name for Malachai. Does anyone know of any girls' names that sounds like Malachai? Seriously. Big problem here. xD **

**Um, yeah. Again, please leave me a review as I love them so. I know this chapter was a little rushed, but that's probably because I wrote it in just a handful of hours 'cuz I felt guilty for not updating. But I think some stuff happened - more emotional, of course, but yeah. Hopefully Thorntail was In Character... -cough- Anyways, yeah. Um, if you review you will get - not a plushie - but a painting! Yeah. A painting of Rosethorn. Who didn't appear in this chapter. WHOOT! **


	27. Let's Do It

I know this is a cheap shot: But I have received several requests and

I will in fact be completing this story. It's been three years, but I promised myself I'd work through it and whether or not there are any readers left, I'd like to finish it for my own sake.

I'm thinking of just charging through the entire thing: updating about ten chapters at once and calling it a day. So please keep a look out within the next few weeks. I need time to both write and to, well, reread what I have so far to retain the little consistency I have.

Let's do this.


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